


Sending Postcards From a Plane Crash

by Callidior



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Lost, Background Relationships, Canon-Typical Violence, M/M, alternate universe - plane crash, but with some major plot changes, by this point its much more of a, the rest of the ndrv3 cast is there as background characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-27
Updated: 2018-10-15
Packaged: 2019-03-09 09:26:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 133,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13478529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Callidior/pseuds/Callidior
Summary: A deadly plane crash left a group of sixteen survivors stranded on a deserted jungle filled to the brim with mysteries and impossibilities. Together, the group must work together in order to solve the questions that the island provides them with at every turn in order to escape, while Shuuichi finds unexpected help from the arguably least trustworthy survivor.





	1. Chapter 1

Bleary eyes slowly blinked open, taking their time adjusting to the bright light of the world around them.

Ringing sounded in ears, unrelenting in its high tone.

Shuuichi reached to lift his hands to his eyes, trying to rub them into focus as best as he could. A loud boom filled the air around him, making the boy startle and the world snap into focus. Ringing became panicked shouts. Brightness became sand, water, metal, and flames. Shuuichi scrambled away from the sound, refusing to acknowledge the sight that he was met with when he did.

All around him, people were screaming in pain and fear. A few people were running around frantically, the rest laying on the sand like Shuuichi had been just moments before. Once his gaze locked onto the sight of shrapnel and torn metal before him, smoke and flames erupting in violent bursts, he couldn't tear his eyes away, panic enveloping him entirely.

How could this have happened. The last thing he could remember was being on that plane in the sky, when they had hit some kind of disaster that sent the aircraft spiraling downwards.

His breath came in gasps just as the flames flickered angrily from the remains of the plane scattered across the beach in front of him. He tried desperately to get a grasp of himself, to contain the fear before it got him killed, but it wouldn't work. He was going to die. He survived the crash but now he was going to die.

Another burst from the plane sent shrapnel flying across the beach. Shuuichi had no time to think before a jagged sheet of metal came barreling toward him. Yes, he survived the crash and this was going to be how he died.

Something foreign gripped the boy, though, pulling him backwards just in time for the metal to embed itself in the sand where he had been sitting just a fraction of a second before.

But before he could feel any gratitude for being pulled out of its course, an indescribably pain shot through his body. Somebody screamed. In the back of his mind, Shuuichi noted that it was him.

“Hey! It’s okay! You’re going to be alright.”

Shuuichi would beg to differ, but he found that every last word was escaping him for the moment, leaving him to let out a panicked sound in response. He moved to change position, to reassure himself that, yes, he was still alive, and maybe that the other person was right, but the pain came back, sharp and enduring. 

He looked down, hoping to find where it was coming from, only to find a long piece of metal, silver tinted an unsettling shade of red driven through his side. 

Every part of him froze up in terror, too afraid of bleeding out or piercing anything inside of him to move or even consider removing the shrapnel.

“Shit, okay we can take care of that, too, but for now we need to get you away from the crash.”

He finally gave himself a moment to turn his attention to the person who had pulled him away from certain death, watching as a blonde girl called behind them for help getting him to a safe distance. He made to turn further and see who’s help she was trying to get, but the pain lacing through his body made him stop and face forward again.

“My name’s Akamatsu and we’re going to make sure you’ll be alright.”

Shuuichi could feel his focus beginning to slip once more, barely noticing the presence of another person as the two worked together to lift him without disturbing the metal. Somewhere between being picked up and carried away, Shuuichi couldn't fight away the darkness filling his vision, and instead chose to let it consume him.

Maybe if he let his eyes slip now he could wake up back on the plane later.

* * *

The next time he woke up was not back on the plane, but to the sight of a pair of eyes locking onto his own from above. Violet eyes stared into Shuuichi’s wide gold, and just before he was about to ask who exactly the person was, he was stopped by a loud shout right in his face.

“Hey! The emo one’s awake!”

The volume made Shuuichi’s head launch right back into the pain from just before he blacked back out, and suddenly the bright of the sun and the crash of the waves felt more like someone was drilling a hole into his head.

Or if he wanted to be more topical, like a piece of shrapnel making its way right through him.

At the memory, his panic came back, breaths shortening as he struggled to sit up, barely avoiding knocking heads with the other boy when he shot upward. Looking down, he found that the metal was gone, and if it weren't for the intense pain he felt at the sudden movements, the dried blood stiffening his shirt around the tear in it, and the crude attempt at stitches across his side, he would've been able to deny that he had ever been pierced by the metal.

Shuuichi really wanted to be able to deny it.

“Oh yeah! Did you know that it actually went right through your radial artery? Totally severed it! You're actually pretty lucky we had someone here who could stitch it back up before you bled out,” the other boy said, eyes widening in worry as he recalled the events, tears forming in them rapidly.

Wait, what? It really sounded like Shuuichi could have seriously died when he blacked out then. Except something about that story seemed a little bit wrong when he thought about it for too long.

“… Aren't radial arteries in your hands?”

The boy let out a snicker at his response, eyes drying and lips upturning into a wide grin. He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off when another person came jogging over. 

“Ouma, what did you tell him?” The new student narrowed her gaze at him. Shuuichi could only guess that he wasn't the first one to be on the short end of one of this Ouma guy’s claims already.

Ouma started to shake, tears falling freely. “What! Why would you assume that I-I would say something mean to-to my, uh, beloved, um,” he looked over at Shuuichi for a moment, trembling ceasing as he looked at him expectantly.

“… Saihara?”

“To my beloved Saihara!” The tears came back full force, making the girl roll her eyes in annoyance.

“Get out of here and let me check on him.” Ouma’s tears stopped, face changing to annoyance as he stood and brushed himself of sand.

“You’re no fun, Harukawa.”

“Good.”

Shuuichi watched the boy, walk away across the sand to another group of people clustered around some suitcases.

“How are you feeling, Saihara,” the girl asked, gently lifting Shuuichi’s arm parallel to the ground while closely watching the injury in his side. The answer was easy. Shuuichi felt horrible. His plane had crashed, he got a piece of metal shoved into his side, another piece tried to cut him in half, and then some tiny purple haired guy tried to tell him he had almost bled out because an artery in his hand gut sliced open. So yeah, horrible.

The words never left his mouth, though. Looking around the beach for the first time since his short panic before passing out, he found bodies. Some moved, trying to help others upright to make sure they were fine. Some struggled to simply take care of themselves. Most just laid there, unmoving, unflinching, unbreathing, silent.

“Alright, I guess,” was what he finally choked out after a minute of silence, throat dry and voice uncertain.

That must have been enough for Harukawa, who then let go of his arm and stood back up, offering a hand to Shuuichi that he took gratefully, trying his best not to move his side too much. Wordlessly, the girl turned and made her way towards a group of a few others standing together on the shore, talking amongst themselves. Knowing he didn't exactly have anywhere better to be, he followed Harukawa quietly.

“Oh good, you’re awake, we were starting to get a little worried,” the blonde he recognized from before greeted him warmly. “I’m Kaede Akamatsu, by the way. And the guy who helped me carry you earlier is Rantarou Amami.”

At the reminder of being carried, Shuuichi couldn't help growing flustered, but still nodded his greeting at the green haired boy who waved at his introduction anyway.

“Oh and that’s Shirogane, she’s the one who,” Akamatsu gestured vaguely towards Shuuichi, “stitched you back up and all.”

The blue haired girl looked unhappy to be put on the spot like that, and Shuuichi found comfort in that he wasn't the only one getting embarrassed in this group already.

“I mean I just did what I could, I’m not exactly used to stitching _people_ so much as their clothes. Really we were just lucky that nothing serious got hit by that rod. If it had then I don't really think we would've been able to help that much.”

That seemed to be what made the gravity of everything that had happened come slamming back into Shuuichi at full force. He really was extremely lucky to still be standing there, considering he had just gone through three near death experiences in what had to be an hour maximum.

And on the topic of near death experiences, “Thank you, by the way, Akamatsu-san and Amami-san!” He exclaimed, bowing deeply.

Amami let out a small laugh at Shuuichi’s behavior. “Hey no need to be so formal, it wasn't like we could just leave you there to die.”

“Still, thank you.” Shuuichi nearly whispered, uncertain of if they would get offended if he expressed his gratitude too much. He instinctively reached up to tug at his hat. When he only felt the top of his head was when he finally realized that his plane must have been lost in the crash. That thing had to be hundreds of miles into the ocean right then. And just when he needed that social crutch more than ever, too.

“So what was it you guys wanted to talk about?” Harukawa asked, picking the conversation back up before it could drift into awkward territory.

“Right!” Akamatsu perked up. “It’s going to get dark soon, so I figured we should probably find some wood or other fuel and we could make a fire in case it gets cold when it gets dark.”

“And to hopefully use as a signal to any rescue services on their way,” Shirogane perked back up.

Harukawa nodded her own agreement before turning to Shuuichi. It looked like she was about to ask him something, but instead her gaze hardened back into the stern power it held before when he had first woken back up. 

“Saihara needs to rest more. He may not have bled out, but he very well could have. And on top of that we have no way to tell if he’s internally bleeding right now.” The observation seemed to be enough to quickly bring the group back down from any excitement they may have felt over talks of rescuers and bonfires. “We should gather everyone else up and talk about it as a whole group.”

Shuuichi wanted to argue that he could be more useful to the group by helping them gather supplies, but the look in Harukawa’s eyes made him think better of it. Akamatsu decided to take the opportunity to lead the way back towards the other scattered crowds at the beach, clearing her throat in an attempt to gather the rest of the survivors’ attention.

When only one person seemed to react to that, he opted to help instead of ignoring, giving a shout to everyone else and gaining all focus on him. With that he gestured to the blonde, directing their attention.

“Thank you, Momota,” she said, flashing a grateful smile at him before continuing. “I think it’s probably safe to say that none of us were expecting something like crash landing on a probably deserted island to actually happen in real life.” A white haired boy shot his hand up in protest, but Akamatsu kept on, “So it’s for the better that we start to regather ourselves as soon as we can. A few of us came up with getting some material to make a fire with. That way any planes flying over could spot us, and if they don't then we could at least have some light to keep safe when the sun sets.”

Much to Shuuichi’s relief, the plan was met with nods and words of agreement across the crowd. Speaking of, he finally took that opportunity to get a look at everyone who had survived the crash, taking in fifteen different faces mixed with fear and determination.

“I can lead a group.” The same guy from before, Momota, spoke up. “We should probably limit how many people we send out. If we do two groups of five then the rest can stay here and see if theres anything salvageable in the wreck.”

“Oh! I can stay and do that.” Another blonde girl spoke up excitedly, eyes shining with excitement at the opportunity. Shuuichi figured that she was probably used to stuff like that somehow. Honestly, he didn't even care how, so long as there was at least one person there who felt like they could make something useful out of burning chunks of plane.

“I can lead the second material search group, if that’s alright with everyone else,” Amami spoke up from where he stood next to Shuuichi.

With that, the rest of the group divided up, joining one of the three teams until the two searching for supplies on the island set out. He made his way to the other five people remaining on the beach, hoping that he could actually contribute as much as possible without actually hurting himself more now that Harukawa wasn't here to stop him.

“Alright, sluts, my name’s Miu Iruma, and I actually happen to know a thing or two about working in engineering, so just do what I say and don't screw up.”

Okay well that was one way to introduce yourself.

Shuuichi looked around the rest of the group, finding that he wasn't alone in his reaction to the other’s blunt, and kind of rude if he was being honest with himself, way of speaking. The only exception was a drowsy short red head who looked like she wasn't even paying attention to the other girl and a short guy who just looked like he’d rather be part of a different group at the moment.

“It would make the most sense for the rest of us to introduce ourselves as well, seeing as we are unaware of how long we will be here,” a tall woman spoke up. While the rest of the group looked at least around the same age, there was no way that this woman was anywhere near the same range if the way that she carried herself had anything to say about it. “You may address me as Tojo.”

“Yumeno,” the red head he noticed before sighed out, “I’m a mage, and I would've kept the plane up but I was all out of MP.”

“Um, that’s alright Yumeno,” Shuuichi reassured the girl awkwardly. _Mage? MP? Did she get a concussion? That would also explain why she was so drowsy…_

Realizing that all eyes were on him now, Shuuichi squeaked out his name in a rush that probably wasn't even loud or comprehensible enough for half the group to hear him, but Yumeno gave him a small smile in return, so it couldn't have been _that_ bad.

“I am called Angie Yonaga, and I’m sorry about the plane crashing, but it will most certainly work out for the better, such is Atua’s desire!” By now Shuuichi was wondering exactly how the weirdest people on the plane were the ones to survive. He also wondered where exactly that left him.

“Hoshi.” Shuuichi looked over at the small guy, completely unprepared for the deep voice that came from him.

“If you’re all done sweet-talking each other, can we get started on looking through the rest of the wreck already,” Shuuichi wasn't quite sure if that was a question or an order, but seeing as the entire group, himself included, launched straight into looking through torn chunks of metal and tried their best to extinguish the smoldering embers that remained, it was a little more on the commanding side of things.

* * *

By the time the sun had set, the group had gathered itself together, wood gathered by the two groups being stacked together to make a bonfire that billowed smoke and heat.

The fire was most definitely a good idea. Even if no one saw the smoke, Akamatsu had been right to worry about the island cooling off drastically once the sun went down, the warm breeze coming off the water offering short reprieves from the chill of the forest behind them.

Across from him, Yumeno sat beside Angie, and Shuuichi couldn't help feeling relieved at the thought that despite everything that had happened, the group had actually managed to cooperate without any more disaster overcoming them all. 

“How did searching the remains of the plane go?” His attention turned back to Momota next to him. He opened his mouth to answer, but was cut off by Iruma from her spot around the bonfire.

“Actually it went really well. While the rest of you were taking a relaxing walk around the woods, we found out that we crashed with one wing and one engine right here on the shore. I might be able to make something useful with the pieces of the engine that are still even remotely in tact, and we can use the wings of the plane to make a shelter so that we don't have to wander in with whatever animals and bugs are in the jungle over there.”

“Speaking of the bugs in the woods,” Amami perked up, “Gonta, do you want to tell them about what you found out?”

At this, a huge guy with wild green hair stood up, “Yes, Gonta found something very strange. Gonta found many insects that shouldn't live together.”

“Apparently there’s a ton of species here that simply don't belong in the same climate. It makes absolutely no sense for them to be coexisting anywhere near each other,” a white-haired boy spoke up. Shuuichi was pretty sure he was the same person who raised his hand to argue against no one expecting the plane to crash, but he brushed it off for the time being. He could ask about that later, for now they had an entirely different problem to face than a passenger who’s afraid of flying.

Silence fell upon the group, and Shuuichi didn't need to be any kind of detective to figure out that they were all wondering the same thing.

“Well that’s a problem for tomorrow then,” Momota said, expression turning from thought back to his usual warm self. “And besides I don't think we all really got to meet each other very well earlier, so how about we just go around the circle and say our names and something interesting about ourselves! I’ll go first-“

Shuuichi let his thoughts wander as everyone from before introduced themselves, paying attention again when the ones he hadn't yet met, an anthropologist calling himself Kiyo, a girl very adamant about her distrust of men called Chabashira, and the nervous white-haired boy properly introduced himself as Kiibo.

After that, the group broke into conversation, different people talking about what they were doing on the plane in the first place, sharing stories about their lives leading up to that point. Everyone was getting along and relaxing for once, easing into light conversation around the fire. 

For the first time since he woke up on that beach, Shuuichi felt like they could survive this island.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i don’t know why i’m writing in all honesty,, i am an artist not a writer but somehow this actually turned out alright so far so uhhh there ya go


	2. Chapter 2

The sun rose steadily over the edge of the trees, bringing soft orange glow to the beach around the survivors. Shuuichi would've assumed he was the first to wake up, had it not been for the sight of the white haired boy, Kiibo, staring quietly into the bonfire. He occasionally poked at it with a stick, urging red and gray to billow out before disappearing into the morning sky.

Quietly as to not wake the others, Shuuichi made his way to the other boy, sitting down next to him where they sat wordlessly for a few minutes, the sounds of waves crashing and wood crackling filling the air around them.

“Were you able to sleep at all?” Shuuichi finally whispered out, breaking into the peaceful quiet. He glanced over when the other didn't answer him, only to be met with the sight of the other shaking his head ever so slightly.

He hummed in response. What was he supposed to say to that? He obviously wanted to help comfort Kiibo, but how could he do that when he was barely keeping it together himself. Maybe if Akamatsu were awake she would've handled this better, after all she had managed to help him so much the entire day before.

They sat there in continued silence as they waited for the rest of the group to stir from their much needed rest one by one.

Eventually, though, Ouma woke up, and with him came enough noise to bring the rest of the group to full alertness, the only exception being Kiibo who was way too sleep deprived for the situation at hand.

Shuuichi watched as everyone gradually formed into smaller groups, staying in his spot next to Kiibo by the fire. Over the course of the slow morning, Momota, Harukawa, and even Ouma gathered beside the pair, taking a seat and filling the quiet with hopes about rescue teams coming for them.

It didn't really help the small group’s morale when Ouma countered almost every possibility of rescue with his own personal theories about how the island could be totally inaccessible and undetectable. Many times he referred to “countless ships and planes in the Bermuda Triangle” never being found. Just knowing how far they were from that entire part of the world didn't help calm any nerves much.

The conversation carried on like that for way too long for the group to feel even slightly alright with their outlook, shifting uneasily on their feet as Ouma went on about his conspiracies behind their crash. When he finally noticed that no one was really paying much attention to him any more, far more wrapped up in their own thoughts and worries was when he finally let out a dramatic sigh, hands poised on his hips as he straightened up as if he had some major announcement.

Shuuichi could tell that the small boy’s words were just filling the rest of the survivors with unwanted tension as if he were turning up the heat on an already boiling pot of water. But when the water was about to boil over, he suddenly switched topics.

“Okay I’m hungry and this island is boring now.”

The words were like some kind of spell, _maybe Yumeno isn't the actual mage here_ , making every person standing around in the small circle suddenly realize how long it had been since they last ate anything.

When no one reacted, Ouma let out an annoyed groan before walking away to find another group to torment. 

“Well,” Momota said, “we should probably start trying to figure out what to do about that.”

“I say we kill him,” Harukawa announced. “Two birds with one stone.”

“What wait no we can’t eat Ouma! I mean, yeah he’s not exactly the first person you’d want to get stuck on a deserted island with, but that doesn't mean we can just kill him!” Kiibo spluttered out in exasperation, Harukawa deflating at the protest.

“Maybe instead we should look for peanut packs or something on the plane?” Momota suggested.

The rest of the group nodded in agreement, letting him take the lead toward the body of the plane. As soon as they got close, the group slowed down, Kiibo and Shuuichi even going as far as to back up a few steps when an unmistakable smell of decay hit them.

Harukawa seemed to be the only one undeterred by the odor, only stopping when the other three did. The girl gave them all a quick glance before turning forward again. “I’ll see what I can find,” she called back quietly. Shuuichi considered that he might have misheard her from the distance, figuring that there was no way she was just going to walk into the stench of the plane. Of course, that was exactly what she proceeded to do.

Shuuichi felt relieved that he didn't have to go anywhere near what was probably more than a few lifeless bodies. Then he was guilty that he felt relief at all since that just meant Harukawa was checking for any food for all of them with no help.

Momota took a few steps back until he was beside the other two again, all waiting and listening to the sounds of latches and zippers opening inside the plane. 

He was beginning to consider forcing his way into the wreck despite the smell, figuring that he should be able to handle it better given his experience working with his uncle back before they crashed. Shuuichi never wanted to go back to working infidelity cases so badly in his life.

Harukawa emerged back from the plane, hands full with various bags that Shuuichi felt he could safely assume were the carry on bags that belongs to the passengers before everything went wrong. Momota was the first to move, making his way over to Harukawa to take most of the bags from her, Shuuichi made sure to follow behind and grab the rest.

The girl said something about getting more suitcases before turning back around and walking to the plane again.

After a few trips back and forth, the group had gathered most of the bags into a pile away from the smell of the deceased. Harukawa tried to get Momota’s help to pull the refreshments cart from the plane, but when it got stuck in the sand, Shuuichi had volunteered to ask Gonta for help instead. By the time the group was starting to wind back down from moving everything around, more of the survivors had joined them.

“It would probably be best if we let everyone take their own bags from the pile first, and then we can decide as a group what to do with what’s left,” Momota suggested, looking across the crowd for any objections.

When he found none, he reached for what must have been his own belongings, the rest of the group quickly following suit. Shuuichi was no exception. Once he caught a glimpse of a familiar dark backpack he made his way over, relieved to find that it was still in tact and dry despite all it had been through.

Backpack in hand, he made spotted Momota sitting with an empty handed Harukawa and made his way to the other two, sitting awkwardly on the sand beside them. 

“Thanks for helping move all the bags earlier, Saihara,” Momota clapped Shuuichi on the back, almost making the boy double over at the unexpected force.

“I’m here to help,” He responded, straightening back up and turning his gaze back to Harukawa, eyebrows furrowing into confusion. “Were you not able to find your stuff?”

The girl stiffened for a moment at the question, so small that Shuuichi thought he wouldn't have caught it if he wasn't so used to reading body language from working with his uncle. “No, I was sitting father up in the plane, I had just gotten up to stretch my legs when we hit the turbulence.”

Shuuichi subconsciously tightened his grip on his bag, trying to imagine how it would feel to be the only one in the group who wouldn't be getting anything back to comfort them and remind them of why they needed to get off the island so badly.

Harukawa tustve noticed because she gave Shuuichi a slight, reassuring smile. “I’ll be alright. Maybe it got thrown somewhere else on the island.”

“It would make sense for the front of the plane to be here on the island, too.” Shuuichi turned around at the voice, recognizing Akamatsu as she walked over to the group. “Our part of the plane crashed facing away from the ocean, so there’s a good chance we’ll be able to find your carry on, Harukawa.”

Momota let out a cheer at this, launching into ideas about how they could try and go deeper into the island in the future. Shuuichi looked over to Harukawa, expecting her to be excited at the thought of finding anything she lost, but her eyes were looking past the group, enveloped in thoughts that made her expression darken just enough for Shuuichi to notice when he paid close attention. A shiver went up his spine as he tore his gaze away, choosing instead to focus back on Momota.

Maybe she had something embarrassing in her possession that she didn't want the rest of the group to find. A single worry flickered in Shuuichi’s mind that she could be dangerous to the group, but he extinguished the spark before it could properly catch flame. The girl had shown no evidence of being to the dangerous to the group so far. In fact she was one of the most helpful. Whatever it was, he decided he would trust her to tell them if she needed to.

* * *

Shuuichi thought that maybe it was too much to hope to find hit hat buried somewhere in his backpack as he sat with the contents of the backpack in front of him. His laptop had been crushed, leading him to the conclusion that the bag must have been pinned underneath something by the force of the crash.

The rest of the backpack’s items failed a little better, leaving him with a squished pack of gum, a notebook with a few pens in tact, and most importantly a dry change of clothes that went went undamaged. 

Probably sensing that someone somewhere felt relief and feeling the impulse to ruin that, Ouma there himself across Shuuichi’s back unexpectedly. He figured he should probably be growing to used to the other’s sudden appearance to the point of not clinching anymore. He couldn’t stop himself from shifting away anyways. 

“Is that my beloved Saihara-chan’s secret diary~” Ouma cooed, reaching across Shuuichi to reach his notebook. 

“Not really,” Shuuichi answered, deciding to just ignore the return of the nickname. 

Ouma flopped absently through the pages, expression faltered from triumph over his discovery for a second before he bounced back. “Wow Saihara-chan! Are you secretly some kind of serial killer? A-Are you gonna try a-and kill _me!?_ ”

“You really shouldn’t be flipping through those, Ouma...” Shuuichi tried to grab the notebook only to have it pulled from his reach by the other. 

“Nope not until you tell me what it is!”

Maybe it was the fact that Ouma was holding the notebook as if he were Gonta’s height and beyond anywhere Shuuichi could ever dream of being able to reach, or maybe it was just his pent up stress finally escaping him, but Shuuichi couldn’t fight back the small giggles that escaped him. He instinctively reached a hand to his mouth as the small noises evolved into uncontrollable laughter. 

When Shuuichi finally gathered himself back up, he slowly relaxed, looking up to where Ouma still stood. Golden eyes met with purple for the second time, but for the first time those golden eyes were the relaxed ones. 

Ouma looked half as if he were about to die on the spot, sending Shuuichi right back into worrying. _Oh God I probably scared him laughing like some kind of maniac._ Ouma’s frozen expression changed back to the same smug expression as before. 

“Definitely a serial killer. You killed the real Saihara-chan and replaced him, but I gotta say, your impression could use some work.”

Shuuichi almost started laughing again, but was still too out of breath from before to manage it. “My uncle’s a detective and I work with him. We usually just handle the really mundane investigations like missing pets, but sometimes he’ll ask for a fresh take on some more serious stuff.”

That answer seemed to be enough for Ouma, who looked a little let down at the answer. Letting out a disappointed noise at him, the smaller boy plopped down onto the ground with him.

“Do you wanna see what I have in my own bag, my beloved detective?” He looked over to Shuuichi excitedly.

“Sure?”

Ouma huffed at his answer. “Come on now, if you didn't want to know what I had then you could've just said no. One more time, but with _conviction_!” He exclaimed with a wide gesture, narrowly missing smacking Shuuichi across the face.

“Yes?” He tried again, making Ouma pout for a moment before reaching behind him to grab a purple backpack that he must’ve dropped there before practically laying across Shuuichi’s back earlier. The other practically tore his own bag open in a rush. Shuuichi had expected a wide variety of things to be in the bag, curiosity getting the better of him as he peaked into it.

But despite how odd Ouma himself was, as Shuuichi looked into a backpack with a blanket, some headphones, and two bottles of soda, he couldn't help but feel he had missed something about the other in the past. The smaller boy seemed to just be filled with mundane surprises in the past half hour. He looked up at Ouma to see that the boy was wearing yet another new expression, reminding him of when he had indirectly asked for Shuuichi’s name. He should probably say something to clear the air.

“Purple is your favorite color.”

Ouma looked offended at that, drawing in a sharp gasp and eyes lighting in anger. “Never! My favorite color is clearly gray. Why else would I have a backpack that color?”

Shuuichi narrowed his gaze at this. “You’re lying again, aren't you?”

Apparently that wasn't what Ouma was expecting, given that he gave a pleased grin at the response and immediately breaking from his latest character. “Glad to know you really are a detective! What gave it away? Was it the color of the blanket? Or maybe the backpack itself? Or possibly the grape soda? I gotta say, you cracked a really tough case here, Sherlock.”

* * *

The rest of the day had passed quickly, the group collecting all of the food and drinks into one place. There had been many debates over whether people should be able to keep their own food to themselves, but in the end they decided it would be better to share the food evenly among themselves until rescue teams were able to find them. Shuuichi noticed that the collection was two grape pantas short. He chose to keep the observation to himself.

By the end of the night, the group had come together to discuss their plans going forward, deciding to be careful with what food they did still have left. It was when Iruma offhandedly suggested making fishing rods to make sure they wouldn't all starve in the long run that the survivors split into debate, that tension that Ouma had so carefully crafted that morning rising back to the surface immediately.

“We don't need to worry about ‘the long run,’ people know the plane crashed, they're going to be looking for us,” Tenko nearly shouted.

“Of course they're on the way, but it’ll still take time for them to get here.” Akamatsu was struggling to keep control over the crowd. From the initial crash, the blonde had taken lead of the group, but it seemed like even she was starting to reach her limit on their trust.

“Akamatsu is right,” Amami chimed in. “I’d even say that if no one comes soon then we should find a place to stay that isn't on the sun in the beach.”

If the group wasn't divided before then they sure were now. Next to him, Kiibo left into worrying that no one was going to look for them. On his other side, Momota was chiming in with his never ending optimism, promising everyone that they’d be safe back home soon.

“Saihara-chan, isn't there some rule about the first forty eight hours after a disaster?” Ouma called out from across the crowd.

“That’s for homicides not plane crashes, Ouma.”

“Wait did you say there was a homicide, Saihara-chan!?”

“That’s not what I said and you know it.”

Unfortunately a couple of other people had heard Ouma and assumed the wrong thing, starting a whole new panic over a murder that never happened. Eventually, the panic was enough for Tenko to let out a loud shout declaring that she was done for the night and that if any of the men tried to kill her that they would have to get past her Aikido skills first.

When she had practically dragged Yumeno away, Angie made an announcement about “Atua” telling her that she should go rest and do it away from the rest of the survivors. That was enough to get everyone else to part ways, grumbling about how they were either going to be reduced first thing in the morning or never.

Momota stayed between Harukawa and Shuuichi as everyone filtered away one by one. To think that just twenty four hours ago this was the same group that Shuuichi had truly believed would be able to survive the island together was impossible.

“Don’t worry guys,” Momota pulled the two into a group hug that only had one active participant, Harukawa letting herself be pulled in and Shuuichi doing his best to break the choking grip. “We’ll be alright! I’m sure that the rescue teams will get here first thing tomorrow, and everyone trying to give up will see how silly they were.”

Shuuichi didn't say anything, but judging by the broken look on Harukawa’s face, he wasn't along in being one of those to truthfully consider the possibility that the rescue teams would be taking longer than they first thought.

“Until then, we gotta keep each other safe, alright? We can make ourselves stronger while we’re here so that we can pull the weight of the rest of the quitters here.” Despite her own disbelieving thoughts, Harukawa nodded in agreement at Momota’s idea.

“That’s a good idea. Whether we get off the island sooner or later, staying healthy would be the best thing we can do.” She turned her full attention to Shuuichi, making him fluster under the undivided focus directed at him. “And it can only help you especially. As long as you're careful not to overwork yourself, it can only help you heal from the shrapnel that caught you in the crash.”

Momota gave a thumbs up at the point. “So, are you in, sidekick?”

“Sidekick?” He echoed.

“Well, yeah. If I’m gonna have to take the lead on motivating the rest of the group into not giving up hope then that basically makes me a superhero, which would make you-“

“Your sidekick,” Shuuichi finished. “Alright. Yeah, I’m down.”

Harukawa seemed pleased with his response, Momota clearly more so. “Then that settles it. From now on, after we’re all done helping the group for the day, we’ll meet up to exercise.”

Shuuichi found some comfort in the fact that he at least had a small group that would get along on the island. It was just unfortunate that the entire rest of the group was still split into other small factions that didn't seem ready to see eye to eye going forward.

What they really needed was someone to lead them, to keep them from waning to kill each other as they journeyed through this mess. Someone brave and optimistic like Momota, stern and responsible like Harukawa, but realistic and friendly like Akamatsu. He hoped that whoever it was would just get it together and get the group on the same page, already.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> upon rewatching the first episode of lost it has come to my attention that i literally gave shuuichi the same exact injury as the first main character in LOST so uh hows that for implicit memory  
> AND thanks for the kudos, comments, and bookmarks omg


	3. Chapter 3

The next few days passed with hardly any confrontation. Of course, that was because there as hardly any interaction to begin with. Most of the survivors went about their days by themselves now, only a handful splitting into pairs. But it wasn't going to last forever, and they all knew that.

They just didn't have enough food to last forever on this island without working together as a group again. A few times some of the more bold survivors on the beach would try and go into the jungle, but most of the time they would back out at the last moment. Those who didn't came back in shorter and shorter amounts of time, always worried about the possibility of getting lost alone.

A few times, Shuuichi had even gone with Harukawa and Momota out into the mass of trees and brush, venturing farther and farther each time. Shuuichi was grateful he had agreed to work out with the others, as realized with a great deal of relief that it served as a good replacement for any recovery plan he would've been put on had he been stabbed by a metal rod with a doctor there to tell him what to do about it.

Checking the woods had proven useful in other ways, though. The group had found some kind of tracks, and in this case, tracks could very well mean a back up plan for when they inevitably ran out of food from the plane. 

Momota thought that they wouldn't matter, that they would be off the island before it would _have_ to matter. By the fifth day on the island with no hint of rescue coming, he started to seem more interested in those tracks.

Of course, animal tracks didn't stand a chance in comparison to the discovery of a river full of freshwater. The trio spent almost an entire day following the stream of water and its many twists and turns, heading far deeper into the trees than they had ever had the confidence to. But eventually Shuuichi turned around without the other two, sleep deprivation seemed to be hitting him harder than either of them combined.

But even the excitement of finding flowing water wasn't enough to erase the fear of starvation.

When the food finally thinned out enough for anyone who was determined that they had to fend for themselves to come to terms with the fact that they were stuck with a group, Akamatsu tried her best to rally them back together. Fortunately, by then even the most stubborn people there were getting desperate enough to admit how badly they needed to work as a team.

She then went on to talk about a plan Iruma had come up with the night before, Shuuichi only paying half attention as he watched the waves lap at the edge of the shore. Apparently, Iruma had figured that there must be some kind of transceiver in the cockpit of the plane, and that if they were able to get their hands on it, they would be able to contact any rescue teams coming their way. According to her, given angle of the crashed section of plane on the beach, it was very likely that the front of it was somewhere on the island, too. It was at this point that Momota butted in, telling the rest of the group all about the river that they had discovered yesterday.

The three who had found the river volunteered to lead Iruma along it to use it as a path to look for the plane from so that they wouldn't have to worry about getting lost. They were just about to leave when Amami spoke up.

“What if we hit more goals today? We all know we’re on track for starving at this point, so we should send a smaller group to search for a solution.”

The idea was met with at best agreement and at worst compliance as no one tried to argue against it this time around.

“Gonta can find food.” He stepped forward.

Amami nodded, “Alright so Gonta can lead a group.”

It didn't take long from there to decide that Shuuichi, Momota, and Harukawa would lead a group along the river, and that along the way, Gonta would separate from them with his own group of Amami, Tojo, Kiibo, and Ouma. Which would leave the original three with Iruma to look for the cockpit of the plane.

* * *

Every time Shuuichi walked through the jungle he was surprised that it always managed to feel even more humid. His clothes stuck to him uncomfortably, and he came to the conclusion that he never had been, and never will be, so thankful to not be wearing his jacket.

He couldn't help feeling a little jealous of Gonta’s group when they were about to split off, wondering if the air got any less humid if you were away from the river.

Shuuichi was ready to part ways when Amami called him over, waving the rest of Shuuichi’s group to just keep going without them.

“I didn't want to suggest this in front of Momota, he seems pretty convinced that we’re still going to be rescued any minute now, but I thought it would be a good idea to send a third group to look for a better place for us to remain than the beach,” he explained.

At first Shuuichi wanted to argue in defense of his friend, but when he thought about it he had to admit that Amami had a point seeing how stubborn Momota could get when need be. The beach wouldn't last and that was starting to get obvious. Even with Iruma doing what she could to make fishing possible, hardly any fish came close enough to shore to catch, and when any did they were too small to even be considered a meal after hours of gathering them. And even beyond that, the sun was unrelenting. Even if you could get past the bright sting of it, it would still rapidly drain and dehydrate every last person beneath it.

Shuuichi nodded slowly, “Yeah, alright. That sounds like a good idea.”

Amami lit up at the response before he beckoned Ouma and Kiibo closer, explaining the plan to them. With the exception of one unnecessary joke about them “needing a place to _crash_ ” from Ouma, and a few less than excited responses from Kiibo, the idea went over rather smoothly both agreeing to the plan. Out of fear of another dispute among the entire group, they decided it would be best to just say they went to look for the cockpit of the plane in that direction. And with that, they made their way down their own new path through the trees.

The rest of the walk was filled with Ouma not paying any attention to their surroundings and instead focusing on bothering Kiibo, almost as if he were trying to find every last button that pushed the poor guy. At fist Shuuichi was reluctant to say anything to stop them, letting the sound of their bickering overcome the still of the jungle, but when Shuuichi noticed something off in the distance. He shushed them, bringing the group to an abrupt stop.

When they looked at him expectantly, he pointed in the direction he was looking at, gesturing to a weak plume of smoke drifting upward between the trees.

“Do you think it could be the cockpit that the other group went looking for?” Kiibo asked.

“Maybe it’s a completely different plane!”

“It might be, Kiibo.” Shuuichi answered, not bothering to even acknowledge Ouma’s suggestion beyond what he hoped was an unnoticeable moment of tensing up in his frustration. His lies were mildly annoying at first, but now they were really just starting to get in the way of getting anywhere on or off this island.

“Well let’s go check it out and see who’s right then!” Ouma said, grabbing Shuuichi by the wrist and dragging him down the hill in the direction of the smoke, Kiibo trailing behind them.

But before they were able to reach the source of the smoke, the bright blue of the sky changed, almost immediately flipping from warmth and sun to dark grays heavy with wind and rain. And sure enough, within the next couple of steps, the rain came down all at once, a sudden downpour drenching the confused group.

“It’s the end of the world.” Ouma mused quietly, statement fading into quiet giggles by the end.

“Come on, let’s just keep going in the same direction and try and get back before the rain gets any worse,” Shuuichi almost felt as if he had to shout to be heard over the unexpected storm.

He began to lead the way, but Ouma pushed past and ahead, almost knocking Shuuichi over across the slippery ground along the way. It was only a few seconds before he and Kiibo completely lost sight of the other boy among the bushes and trees and they had to pick up their pace so that they wouldn't lose him.

How exactly would they be able to explain that to the rest of the group back at the beach? Sure, some of them might honestly be relieved at the absence of the boy, but there were only sixteen of them on this island, and they’d need all the help and sense of community that they could get.

When they finally caught up to him, it was to find him staring up at the torn wreckage, very clearly the front of their plane.

Shuuichi stared in awe at the broken structure. He wasn't sure if it was just the fact that the section of the plane was leaving at an upward angle, front of the cockpit dug partially into a steep cliff face ahead of them, or if he simply never paid it much attention before, but suddenly the front of the plane seemed absolutely massive.

Kiibo was the first of the three to move from where they stood, walking to look around the plane for something, calling back to the other two that he was fairly sure the group of four hadn't been here yet.

 _Maybe they got lost on the way_ , Shuuichi thought to himself. Finding that he was hoping it wasn't true and that they were on their way right now so that he didn't have to worry about climbing into the plane as it performed its frightening balancing act. “Didn’t they go looking for a transmitter or something?”

Kiibo nodded in confirmation at this, the group all looking towards the top of the wreck, trying to look up through the windows of the cockpit, but the rain blocked their view, steam covering the parts of the windows that they could still see through the sheets of cold water. Deciding that they wouldn't accomplish anything by just standing around there, Shuuichi steeled himself, taking the first steps toward the bottom of the wreck where the plane had been violently ripped in the events of the crash.

When he reached the gaping opening, the sound of creaking metal began to filter in through the heavy sound of rain. Shuuichi hesitating, taking in the steep slant of the inside of the plane that led up to the closed doors of the pilot’s cockpit.

The possibility of finding any other people still alive in the plane crossed Shuuichi’s mind, but he chased the thought away before it could develop any further into something dangerous like hope. No, if anyone else had survived that crash then they wouldn't have stuck around inside a plane that looked like it was about to lose what little balance it had left and fall any second now.

That was a good conclusion to come to, as it turned out, when the trio began the slippery climb up the walkway of the plane. Around them laid cold, lifeless bodies, the stench flowing off of them overwhelming the group as they were jerked around by the wind rocking the plane. Shuuichi’s thoughts raced back to eyes filled to the brim with malice and the pain of the truth, quickly becoming even more stifling than the stretched reek of death surrounding him.

This was going to be him. He could've been one of those bodies sitting cold in his seat. He should've been. He almost was so many times already. Any one of his friends could have been just like these passengers. He could practically see Momota lying across a seat, now, body broken and eyes empty and-

A hand gripped him by his shoulder, pulling his attention back to the plane around him, golden eyes locking with violet. “Saihara-chan, breathe.”

Something in Shuuichi relaxed at the words, his mind now wondering where the sudden concern in Ouma could possibly be pulling from. He should be laughing at Shuuichi for freaking out, not helping him calm down.

He let out a shaky breath, fear turning into frustration as he realized that every time he started to feel like he was getting to understand Ouma, he would just get another curve ball thrown at him, adding another layer to the short boy filled with tall tales.

“Hey guys, I don't really think all three of us should be in here with the storm swaying the plane like this,” Kiibo called out behind them. 

Ouma’s expression flipped back into his usual mischievous grin that Shuuichi had learned to grow used to. “Well then, sorry to say it, but sayonara, my beloved Saihara-chan! The supreme leader and scaredy cat back there will be taking care of this one.”

“What why me?” Kiibo frowned at Ouma, who now looked as if the other had offended him down to his very core.

“To think that a subordinate would question my orders as your leader! Obviously such disrespect deserves punishment. Which today, will be getting the cockpit door open because let’s be real here, there’s no way that Saihara-chan will be able to get it open.”

Kiibo relented with a sound of complete frustration, slipping past Shuuichi and making his way towards Ouma, cringing towards the middle of the aisle and away from the deceased passengers scattered about.

Shuuichi let him pass before slipping his way back down to the bottom, landing on the ground with a muddy thump. “I’ll keep an eye out for the other group,” he called, glancing over his shoulder to find that Ouma was already back to teasing Kiibo while the latter struggled with the latch on the door, neither paying any attention to Shuuichi. “I guess.”

Now that he was alone he let his thoughts wander back to the person currently bossing his way around in the plane behind him. He had seriously thought that the other boy was just some lying prankster, but it was clear that he was able to catch onto Shuuichi’s anxiety almost immediately. And on top of that, there was no way that the latch would've been any easier for Kiibo to open than for Shuuichi. 

Was it possible that Ouma was trying to give him an excuse to leave the plane, actually helping Shuuichi out in his own peculiar way?

A startled yelp sounded behind him, followed by Kiibo yelling at Ouma for something about almost falling. Shuuichi turned around and tried to check up on them, but found that the door was open and they had disappeared from sight and into the cockpit.

No, there was no way Ouma was doing that on purpose. He probably just wanted to annoy Kiibo some more.

After a few more minutes of standing around, Shuuichi began to grow worried. He tried to brush it off as the aftereffect of being surrounded by so many bodies, or maybe just the anxieties that came with being crashed on a deserted island overall, but he couldn't shake the feeling that it was something else.

Deciding to trust his gut, Shuuichi made his way back towards the plane to check on the other two. Besides, the original group that had gone looking never even showed up to the plane at all. Hopefully they were alright. The feeling wouldn't go away.

Suddenly a piercing sound filled the world around him, something akin to the unmistakable sound metal scraping violently, constantly changing and growing in volume, chilling him down to his core. Panicked by whatever was making such a noise, Shuuichi dove into the broken plane, doing his best to scramble behind a seat and get as far from the opening of it as he could. Whatever this _thing_ was that was making such a consuming noise was something Shuuichi didn't want to accidentally meet.

But just as quickly as it had come, the overbearing sound cut away, leaving Shuuichi trembling where he collapsed in the back of the plane. He didn't get a chance to feel any relief, though, as the wreckage began to slip in its position against the cliff.

A clatter sounded above him, drawing his attention to the very front of the plane, where Ouma was barely balancing against the steep, shaking slope, bracing himself against the now almost horizontal wall of the cockpit.

Ouma was the lucky one. Kiibo had slipped out of the cockpit, and had managed to grip onto the mount of a chair before slipping down what would have been capable of at least breaking some bones if he came to a free fall. Without putting much thought into it, Shuuichi launched into motion, moving from his spot to where we was directly below Kiibo and Ouma.

“Try to climb down, if you slip then I’m here to catch you,” He called up to the pair, Ouma nodding quickly while Kiibo swallowed and began slowly making his way down.

The constant shifting of the plane offered no assistance to the other two survivors. Once Kiibo had reached the bottom, Shuuichi helping to keep him slipping the rest of the way, Ouma called their attention to the transceiver in his grip.

“I’m gonna drop it to you, so you better catch it or else I’ll have someone from my organization kill one of you!” With that, the device fell from his grip, Kiibo moving to catch it before it hit the ground.

Ouma began his own descent, following the same path Kiibo took, the plane one slipping and shaking more as he went. When the small boy was only about halfway down, the plane creaked, and Shuuichi could see cracks forming across the center, the stress of the plane’s own weight getting dangerously close to snapping it clean in half.

Shuuichi must not have been the only one to notice, because he was pretty sure he could hear Ouma mumble a curse from where he was.

The next sound that came from the plane was that of metal completely snapping, severing itself into two jagged halves, the sudden movement breaking Ouma’s grip and sending him falling through the air. In a quicker movement than Shuuichi even knew he had the reflexes for, the taller of the two leapt forward, just barely managing to catch the smaller in his fall, the momentum sending both to the ground in a cushioned tumble.

As soon as they were both on the ground, Kiibo grabbed them by the arms, pulling them quickly away from the broken plane as it began to slide rapidly towards the floor of the jungle, leading them out of its crushing path.

The three sat there in the mud, panting and staring at the wreckage as the rain suddenly cleared, replaced by the same bright sky and sun as before. He let his weight flop backward to the ground, already feeling tired and sore as the adrenaline rush left him.

Shuuichi wasn't sure how much time had passed before Kiibo finally muttered something about never going near another plane again. Shuuichi and Ouma just nodded their assent, still out of breath from how much had happened in just a few short moments. When they finally got back to the beach, coated in drying mud and overcome with exhaustion, the three had been interrogated by the rest of the group. When Kiibo showed them that they had found the transceiver, their questions doubled in number and intensity.

Apparently the group who had gone looking for the wreckage first went nowhere near the direction that Shuuichi’s group had, turning up completely empty handed when they returned to the beach. Using the lie that Shuuichi’s group went looking for the cockpit too ended up being the perfect lie to use.

“Oh and there was one other thing we wanted to ask you,” Momota started, seeming unsure of himself where he was even going with the rest of the question.

Harukawa finished it for him, “Did you hear anything weird when you were out there? We heard something loud off in the distance, and when we got back, we found out that Gonta's group and everyone else at the beach had, too.”

The trio froze at the question, all growing uneasily silent. The group must have picked up on it, because Amami looked thoughtful. “So we all heard whatever it was. But where was it coming from and what was it even doing?”

Shuuichi opened his mouth to speak, the group turning to look at him. As soon as their eyes were on him, his jaw snapped back shut, hand reaching once again for a missing hat while he struggled to work beyond the fear regaining its control over him in an attempt to find his voice. Finally, he gathered himself enough to speak.

“I think we can answer that,” he launched into a retelling of everything that had happened, from the sudden downpour to the sickening noise to the plane splitting in half, all while everyone else listened carefully, Ouma and Kiibo nodding at some points while supplying details that Shuuichi had missed at others.

“Whatever it was, I don't think it wanted all three of us to get back here. Maybe any of us,” Shuuichi finished quietly, not entirely sure where the last part was even coming from but finding that he fully believed it to be true, the other two’s expression matching his as he wrapped up the story.

The rest of the group seemed disturbed by the events themselves, the beach slowly drawing back into the same air of tension that they had finally started to move past as they began to realize the true potential dangers of whatever island they had crash landed on. More than any other time since the wreck, Shuuichi was consumed by the desire to just go home already and forget that all of this was even happening.

“You three should get something to eat,” a voice finally broke through the silence, fifteen pairs of eyes turning to the source. Tojo wasn't deterred by the attention. “Everyone else had lunch while you were out thanks to Tenko figuring out how to fish so quickly, and we found a lot of water bottles on the plane. You’ve been through a lot in the past couple of hours, and you need some rest to recuperate.”

Shuuichi wanted to argue that it was really the past couple of days that have put them through a lot, but was too distracted by the prospect of water, realizing for the first time that his throat had dried up long ago.

* * *

The sounds of the waves crashing on the sand to a smooth rhythm of their own had long since become nothing more than white noise to Shuuichi, who sat just beyond the reach of the water, arms folded over his legs, bringing them against his chest as he let himself relax into the sound. When he cracked his eyes open, he could just barely make out the line between the sky and the sea, darkness separated only by a thin silver reflection of the moon’s light.

He let his eyes slide closed again, the night surrounding him again. Shuuichi knew he should probably be trying to sleep, but every time he got close, his mind would fill with images of planes falling, with smells of rotting bodies, with sounds of metal scraping, shrill, constant, unrelenting, until he inevitably gave up. 

He much preferred the relaxing sense of emptiness that came with staying up beyond what his mind wanted.

At a few points, he was pretty sure he had slipped into a short rest, the sounds of the the waves in front of him becoming interrupted by short silences. In what felt like any other blink of an eye, the dark of the water had turned bright, and Shuuichi found that his weight had shifted farther forward than he last remember it being. Belatedly, he realized that the reason he had woken up in the first place was that his feet were soaking wet, being drenched by every wave now as the tide drew nearer.

Slowly, he rose to his feet, stretching legs that didn't appreciate the position they were stuck in all night and taking a step back from the reach of the sea. If his clothes felt sticky with humidity yesterday, then this morning they got the added pleasure of being soaked and salted by the spray of the waves. 

With one final glance across the bright reflection of the sunrise, Shuuichi turned to retrieve the change of clothes in his backpack farther inland. His feet barely left the sand, footsteps looking more like a drawn pair of lines trailing along behind him as his exhaustion from a terribly draining day and night of poor sleeping habits caught up to him.

Reaching his backpack, he tugged the zipper open, only to find that he had a new possession thrown in among the rest.

Unsure if he was hallucinating from stress and sleep deprivation, Shuuichi carefully reached into his bag, pulling out a familiar hat. Beneath it, his notebook had been opened to a random page despite him being fairly certain he had closed it before putting it back in the bag. He reached back in, grabbing the notebook in his free hand. Across the page it was open to was a short message, handwriting clearly not Shuuichi’s own.

_Found this when the plane first crashed, but couldn't remember who it belonged to for a bit.  
Pretty sure now that I saw you wearing it when I walked past you to board the plane, so here you go._

Shuuichi looked back from the note to the hat in his hand, tired mind finally catching up with the fact that someone had given it back overnight and quickly moved to put it on, closing the notebook and slipping it back into his backpack. Maybe when he was less likely to fall asleep standing up he would try to figure out who to thank for getting it back to him, but for now Shuuichi was ready to just revel in the fact that he had his possession back at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so one thing i really do want to do with this fic is actually respond to comments but getting sick sucks and emergen-c tastes terrible, so i probably wont be as talkative as id prefer to be for a bit


	4. Chapter 4

After hardly getting any rest, Shuuichi was eternally grateful that the group decided they would wait until the next day to start figuring out the transceiver. 

After everything else that happened the day before, Shuuichi was even more grateful that Amami had decided to keep him company as they went around the group offering help to anyone who looked like they needed it.

It had started off with Amami asking Shuuichi to lend Momota and him a hand in going around and checking the traps they had set in the water near the camp, the other two making idle conversation and Shuuichi zoning out while they worked.

Somehow helping Momota with the traps turned into helping Gonta look for some bug he was trying to find in the jungle which turned into giving Kiibo a hand gathering more wood to keep the signal fire going.

And naturally Ouma had felt the need to interrupt all of these by starting fights repeatedly with Momota, responding to every last idea by shooting it down with the some of the most absurd lies Shuuichi had ever heard. He had even claimed that Momota's suggestion to check a specific trap was ridiculous because, according to Ouma, that trap never existed in the first place. Of course, he then moved on to trying to convince Gonta that it would be a good idea to gather as many bugs as possible and let them loose to show the rest of the group how impressive they were, Shuuichi struggling to explain to Gonta the ways in which that kind of plan could backfire while Ouma let out his trademark laugh behind him. Then later, Ouma deciding to announce to Kiibo that he could see a rescue boat in the water countless times. Shuuichi felt bad for Kiibo, seeing as the boy fell for Ouma’s fake excitement every single time.

It was only noon when Shuuichi was fairly certain he was about to collapse and just call it a day. Of course, that was when Angie had asked for help with her own task, seeing that he and Amami had parted ways.

She had explained something about how she thought she could best contribute to the group, and was looking to Shuuichi to see if it was a good idea. Meanwhile, Shuuichi, who hadn't managed a single night of even halfway decent rest since arriving on the island, couldn't be bothered to even question why she chose to seek out his advice of everyone there. Surely, she would want to go to someone she was already close with like Yumeno? Everyone had noticed how quickly the she had gravitated towards the self declared mage upon their arrival. Or maybe Kaede? They seemed to get along at least a little bit.

But he was tired, and the forest was hot and muggy, so he didn't ask any questions as he followed Angie around through the thickness of trees and wiry undergrowth.

“So what exactly was it that you wanted my help with?” He called out, barely keeping up with her as he struggled to avoid tripping over tree roots jutting out into their seemingly random path.

“Atua has led me to a place of great beauty, and wills for me to capture it in the most beneficial of ways,” she explained from in front of him.

Shuuichi barely bit back the comment that, _Oh yeah of course, how come he didn't figure that one out on his own_. He really needed some proper sleep before he said something rude to someone.

“Where is this, um, place of great beauty?” He asked instead.

Angie drew to an immediate stop, making Shuuichi bump into her on accident, stumbling back before looking at her in confusion. She turned around, giving off a smile that he figured was probably meant to be polite, but came across as more unsettling. “Atua believes that Saihara is the most level-headed and considerate of the community, and so he has asked me to show you this before the others.”

She gave him and expression as if that somehow explained everything that was going on, but Shuuichi was fairly certain he had never had so many questions flood into his mind at once. He was about to ask at least one of them, but the braided girl turned and continued on beneath two low hanging branches, immediately disappearing from view.

After a few moments of nothing, he realized that she was waiting for him to follow her. When he did, he had to freeze in awe of the sight before him.

Past the thick stretch of intimidating green trees was a stretch of pine trees, extending for a great distance before being replaced once more by the lush green of the jungle. He glanced across the ground, finding a complete absence of the tangled growth that concealed the rest of the jungle’s floor, replaced instead by a soft bed of fallen golden brown pine needles.

“This is…” 

In theory, his sentence had some point to it, but that was lost to him as he looked all around. Unlike the rest of the forest, this section was significantly cooler and drier, the sun no longer beating down harshly, but instead providing a gentle ray of warmth between the needles of the pines that towered above them.

“Atua believes that these grounds would be most useful to the community,” she paused when he didn't say anything, looking downward for a moment. “We were considering leaving the beach for somewhere more hospitable the other day, were we not?”

Of course that was what she meant. She wasn't proposing some kind of art project when she asked Shuuichi to follow her into the jungle, but a new place for them to live. But there was no way the group would rally together for something like that, at least not yet.

He looked around the clearing thoughtfully before an idea finally started to form. “I think that uh, Atua, has a good idea. But you're right, not everyone would be on board with this. I’m still not entirely sure why you decided to show it to me instead of anyone else, but I think I can help. Or rather, I think a couple of other people could help. You said you were an artist right?”

Angie nodded, “Yes, Atua uses art through me to convey his messages and lessons.”

“And Atua wants the group to stay here instead of the beach right?”

“Of course!”

“And being an artist, you know a lot about different mediums, is that correct? Like, hypothetically, you could know which types of wood are more resistant to cold, water, wind, and wear?”

Once again she nodded, seeming to already follow where Shuuichi was starting to go with this.

“So if I were to suggest getting help from someone who knows engineering and someone strong and capable of identifying those mediums in their raw form, like say Iruma and Gonta?”

“Then Atua would show us how to create a perfect haven together in this clearing!”

Shuuichi smiled at this. Finally, they would be getting away from the beach and into a shelter more permanent and safe. All he had to do was somehow convince the rest of the survivors that it was a good idea. Of course, that would take time, but so would constructing a settlement using limited resources. 

The plan started to finalize in his thoughts from there. The hardest part would be getting Iruma on board to cooperate with Angie long enough to work on this, and then to get them to both agree to actually keep it a secret from everyone else. After that, recruiting Gonta to help with heavy lifting would be easy, he’d just have to think of a cover story for why the three would be inevitably spending so much time away from everyone else, and they’d be set.

Shuuichi looked over to Angie, only slightly hesitant when they made eye contact, fighting the urge to pull at his hat. _No, not right now. Eye contact means trust, you only need to do this for a couple seconds and then you’re good._

“Then it’s decided. You don't worry about anything, just wait for me to get Iruma and Gonta, and then we can show them this clearing tomorrow.”

Angie seemed to be absolutely glowing with excitement at this, “Of course! Atua knew you would be willing to help bring the group together!” Shuuichi wasn't too sure he was ready to claim _that_ , but he sure was ready to get everyone off of that beach. And if it happened to be to this location, then Angie had every right to be proud for finding it.

Even if she did have to convey that in an admittedly odd way.

* * *

“You want me to help WHO?” Shuuichi panicked, reaching outward to try and quiet Iruma as quickly as he could, covering her mouth.

“Shhh! This isn't a public thing!”

Iruma let out a sound that Shuuichi would much rather like to move on without hearing again at the unexpectedly rough treatment he was giving her, making him frantically pull away. “Please, Iruma. There’s no way you seriously believe that we’ll be able to spend our entire time stuck here on this beach. The sun is dangerous, and last night when I couldn't sleep I noticed that the tide has been rising farther up the shore. And on top of all that, we've got no place to hide from whatever that _thing_ was that came for us yesterday while we're out here in the open like this. We need to find somewhere safe, and this could be that place.”

The girl heaved an annoyed sigh, halfheartedly glaring at Shuuichi as he looked at her pleadingly. After a few minutes of tense silence, she finally gave in. “Sheesh alright fine, just stop giving me that weird look, you twink!”

Shuuichi lit up, “Thank you so much, Iruma!”

Iruma shuffled on her feet awkwardly, “Yeah, sure, whatever. When did you want to go to this place, anyways?”

“Angie and I were hoping tomorrow. I just need to ask Gonta if he’d be willing to help, but I don't really see him saying no.”

“You’re lucky you're so easy to like, Saihara.” Iruma shook her head lightly. For the second time that day, Shuuichi was wondering exactly what he had done that apparently made him seem so likable, but chose to just move on and ignore it for the time being.

He turned away from the inventor, searching the beach for Gonta, easily spotting his silhouette in the red of the setting sun. As he made his way over, he felt as if someone were looking at him, and gave a quick glance to Angie, who gave him a curious look before glancing back to Iruma for a fraction of a second and bouncing her gaze back to him. Shuuichi gave a slight nod of confirmation in her direction, making the other girl smile before turning her attention to the colorful sunset reflecting across the water.

Even when she looked away, though, he couldn't shake the feeling that someone was looking at him. 

He tried his best to ignored it, but even as he greeted Gonta, the sensation persisted, sending an unpleasant shiver up his spine. Thankfully, he didn't need to focus as much to convince the entomologist as he did for Iruma, the only difficulty coming in how much he had to stress that Gonta couldn't let anyone else find out about the plan.

“Gonta will not lie, but he will try his best to keep the surprise a secret,” was what he had said, which Shuuichi was sure was supposed to be reassuring, but really just sent him worrying even more than before.

But so long as no one asked Gonta directly, then they would be safe. And besides, it wasn't like they had to keep this up forever. In fact, given Iruma’s track history with putting together traps and tools so far using only broken plane scraps in such short amounts of time, he figured that they wouldn't have to worry about it being a secret for too long.

The sun had just disappeared over the edge of the horizon when Shuuichi was finally able to turn in for the night. Momota had asked all about where he and Angie had gone off to, and Shuuichi did his best to get through the questions without any complications. The other boy had been nothing but helpful since they had crashed on the island, but he was sure that he wouldn't appreciate talk of setting up a far more permanent residence than what they currently had.

Not to mention how far that location was from the beach, and subsequently the signal fire that still burned.

His answers had been rough at best, but Momota still took them as Shuuichi provided them. He couldn't help feeling guilty over taking advantage of his friend’s trust like that. Lying had never come easy to Shuuichi, and even when he did it during an investigation because it was the only way to get information, he had managed to beat himself up for not finding a better solution. So now, watching as Momota listened on to his story about how Angie had wanted to do some weird ritual for her god, nodding and commenting every now and then, Shuuichi felt like throwing himself off a building.

Too bad they were stuck on a deserted island without any of those.

When Momota launched into his own story about he had spent the day with Harukawa after Shuuichi and Amami had helped him in the morning, he felt a wave of relief wash over him that Harukawa wasn't around to hear his pitiful excuse for a lie. Momota may be too trusting for his own good, but the girl trusted nothing and no one and probably would've called Shuuichi out before he got to the second sentence of his made up story.

Of course, he felt even more guilty that he was so thankful for that.

By the end of his story, Momota seemed to finally notice that Shuuichi was practically falling asleep where he stood, and took to closing up the story so that he could let the poor boy go to sleep in a way that wouldn't end up with him just collapsing to the ground.

Shuuichi was sure to take that opportunity, wishing Momota a good night before turning in, himself. For once, he was out almost as soon as he laid down.

* * *

Too many people were looking at him. There were more pairs of eyes than he was even convinced existed locked right onto him, but he could only meet one of them.

When he did, he was locked into the gaze, unable to move, unable to speak.

Eyes full of hatred tired deep into eyes of fear and uncertainty.

The man didn’t speak. He didn't have to. Shuuichi understood. He understood more than he had ever wanted to. He found that he never wanted to understand this again.

The eyes were suddenly pulled away, the man jerking against the rough movement before giving in and following into the direction he was led, leaving Shuuichi behind, gaze remaining the mans’ once were.

His attention was pulled away by the sound of a familiar voice behind him.

“You did a good job, Shuuichi.” The boy turned around and met the eyes of his uncle, subtly shrugging at the compliment. From an outside perspective, one could assume the boy was being smug and mocking the detective, but the man who moved to clap him gently on the shoulder knew that he was being entirely genuine in the action.

“I didn't really do that much…” he trailed off, eyes flicking away from his uncles’ proud stare and to the floor in front of him. He knew his uncle was trying to praise him, but he found himself thinking about those other eyes of the man that Shuuichi just single handedly sentenced to be dragged away.

That was his fault. He was the reason those eyes were so close to cracking with malice.

Shuuichi shuddered at the thought, at the realization. His uncle must have picked up on the discomfort, gently shaking his shoulder to drag him back out of his own mind.

“Come on, we just have to finalize everything and then we can go home and celebrate how good you did today.”

Shuuichi wanted to voice that he’d rather curl up into a ball in his room and sleep it off, but he wouldn't dare to let his uncle down after he had already made him so happy. “Yeah, okay,” he whispered.

“It’s alright, just a little paper work about the case and then we’re done,” his uncle tried to comfort him. Even though he wasn't hitting the right cause, his attempts still managed to help Shuuichi relax a little. Maybe some boring paperwork would do him good and distract him from the intensity in the culprit’s gaze.

His uncle led the way out of the courtroom before they drove back to the station, heading into his office to have a closing discussion with the victim’s representatives.

Shuuichi was going to wait out in the main room of the station, but at the last moment, his uncle beckoned him into the room. Apparently he thought that Shuuichi would want to be involved with this, something about it being important for the detective to find closure on a case, no matter how big or small.

His uncle had never done this with any of their smaller cases, which was really any of their other cases. Shuuichi figured he just wanted to impress the people that they had helped to support in the trial.

He was introduced to the other people, but he didn't really pay attention. All he caught was that they had been investigating a case prior that had to do with the victim in the Saiharas’ case, Shuuichi still barely paying any attention.

“… ended up driving them into committing suicide.”

That caught Shuuichi’s attention, getting him to subtly listen to the other investigator’s case. The woman talked in depth about a horrible man who had taken advantage of a vulnerable family. According to her, the culprit from that case had manipulated nearly all of them to the point of forcing their hand in the form of all but one ending their own lives.

Shuuichi shuddered at the mental image, unable to avoid wondering what he would do if he was in that kind of situation.

“It’s crazy, don't you think, that we ended up finding out that our cases had so much in common after we actually finished them instead of any time before?” The woman laughed a little.

Shuuichi felt confusion overtake him. Similar? The case he and his uncle had just closed was nothing like that. How could it be similar at all?

His uncle seemed to be in a similar mood as the other investigator when he chimed in. “It was weird, although it was also kind of unfortunate. It almost makes you feel bad for the guy. After all, the victim was the one who took his family away from him like that, and you can almost understand why our culprit would go as far as to kill him for it.”

Slowly, the gears began to turn in Shuuichi’s head, puzzle pieces fitting together in places where thought no pieces were meant to ever fit. Everything weird about his case started to make sense. The unknown motive, the way that the culprit had insisted until the end that he was in the right, the look in his eyes as he stared into Shuuichi.

His breath quickened, his hands shook, and his heart raced. He was pretty sure his uncle got worried and reached out to offer comfort, but that Shuuichi had flinched away. All at once, his thoughts were racing and screeching to a halt, mind everywhere and nowhere.

Finally his mind settled on a single fact, mind silencing as he barely even dared to think it to himself.

Shuuichi Saihara had put a man behind bars for avenging the wrongful death of his family, and Shuuichi Saihara had defended the man who killed them.

Someone grabbed him by the shoulder roughly, and Shuuichi looked up to see his uncle shaking him. The motion felt like it belonged to someone else, that he was not the one being shaken. His gaze moved to his uncle’s, but where he should have found concern, Shuuichi could only see malice. Malice that was completely justified. Malice that he found himself agreeing with.

His uncle continued to shake him, calling his name, growing sharper and clearer by the second,

Shuuichi jolted upright, shaking violently, eyes unfocused as they darted around him, trying desperately to make sense of the world. The person who was shaking his shoulder changed to grip him by it, steadying Shuuichi in a world that tried to spin. 

The person was talking, he noted. He tried to pay attention, to make out the words, but he couldn’t. Instead he sat there, screwing his eyes shut trying his best to stop hyperventilating and instead focus on the sensation of the person holding him. 

At some point, the other person must have shifted position, because when Shuuichi finally became aware of his surroundings again it was to the feeling of someone holding him in a tight hug. A glance downward confirmed his theory, Ouma seeming to have made himself comfortable sitting on Shuuichi’s lap and holding him.

“Welcome back, Saihara-chan,” he chirped, a smile gracing his features, but not quite reaching his eyes. “You woke me up with whatever silly nightmare you were having, so I figure’d I’d wake you up back!”

Shuuichi nodded tiredly, ready to accept whatever lie Ouma was trying to sell to him, still too shaken to tray and call him out on anything. This only seemed to make the other boy frown though, even if only for a split second before the same fake grin returned. “But of course, that’s a lie. I was getting ready to go to sleep when I decided to wake you up, after all it really is only the middle of the night. Honestly, I’m surprised that you were already asleep, mister insomniac!”

Did Ouma have to be so loud? Or talk so much?

The boy sighed before finishing his much too lengthy speech. “But now I’m the tired one, so it’s my turn to go to sleep.” With that he stood up, and Shuuichi figured he would probably march off to wherever it was that Ouma preferred to sleep on the beach.

Suddenly, a thought took over Shuuichi’s mind. “Wait! Can I ask you something?”

Ouma turned around dramatically. “Well of course you can always _ask_ something, Saihara-chan. It doesn't mean you’ll get the right answer every time, but you can still ask.”

“Were you the one who put my hat in bag last night?” Ouma paused for a split second, mask slipping for such a short time that Shuuichi almost missed it entirely.

“I have no idea what you’re even talking about! Good night, my beloved detective!” With that Ouma turned around and practically skipped away from him.

“Thank you, Ouma.”

The other boy flicked his hand out in acknowledgement, not turning around to face Shuuichi, giving him all the confirmation he needed. He wasn't sure what it was about that guy that made him show up when Shuuichi was at what could easily be considered his worst, but he had to admit, despite the way Ouma acted when the rest of the group was around to watch, there were much worse people he could have trying to pull him out of his worries when they became too much.

And apparently he was good at it, seeing as Shuuichi was able to lay back down and easily slip into a dreamless sleep, eyes of disgust nothing more than a faint thought in the back of his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i will,, proofread when i feel less dead  
> sorry shuuichi lol


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> jeez and just when i was getting over my art block i guess my brain decided to give me a teaser of what i guess was writers block? so this chapter is a little shorter and took more than one day to write regardless but here it is

Shuuichi made his way over to where Iruma, Gonta, and Angie were all talking. Or maybe they were arguing? Well, Shuuichi made his way over to where Iruma was shouting, Gonta was looking confused, and Angie was entirely oblivious to whatever Iruma was yelling at her about.

Maybe this project was going to more difficult than Shuuichi had first hoped.

When he was about to reach the group, someone bumped into his side before falling into step with him, awkwardly trying to match Shuuichi’s stride perfectly, shorter legs barely able to match longer ones without slipping in the sand. 

He came to a stop, the other stopping with him.

“Did you need anything, Ouma?” Shuuichi finally glanced over to the other boy who was smiling way too innocently for his comfort.

“Wow! My dear Saihara-chan is being so polite today! Could my beloved finally be returning my affections?”

Shuuichi felt his face redden, trying to think of an excuse that would get him out of this situation as quickly as he could.

“And obviously I wanted to spend the day with you!” Wide eyes looked up at Shuuichi. He went to tug at his hat, but Ouma stopped him. The other boy may not look like it, but he sure had a strong grip, Shuuichi found out. “I’m starting to think that whoever found your hat and gave it back to you might be regretting that decision, and that’s the truth,” the other muttered, eyes trained on where he grabbed the taller boy's wrist before breaking back into his usual grin.

“S-Sorry, but I already had plans to help out Angie with her art project today,” Shuuichi stammered out, hoping it didn't show on his face how bad of a lie that even he thought that was.

“While we’re on a deserted island?”

Shuuichi nodded confidently.

“With help from Gonta and the whore over there?”

Shuuichi nodded, this time significantly slower, and Ouma started bouncing on his toes after clapping his hands together in excitement.

“Sounds like you could use some help, then! But no need to beg, your supreme leader is here to guide you poor souls.” 

“Supreme leader?” Shuuichi echoed back, confused as ever by Ouma’s antics. Would he ever be a single consistent personality around Shuuichi, or was the detective just doomed to trying to keep up with him for the rest of their time on the island?

Ouma, on the other hand, pushed past Shuuichi and over to the other three, very subtly announcing his arrival. 

“What’s up, fuckers!”

“Ew, who invited the shota?! It’s bad enough I gotta deal with the cultist, but now Cockichi’s coming?” Iruma looked over to Shuuichi. “Hey, Cuckhara, can’t you tell your little boyfriend over here that he's not allowed to come.”

He made his way over to the group, hating the fact that his face darkened at her demand. “He’s not-“

“You’re just jealous because no matter how much of a slut you act like on this island, you aren't getting any dick,” Ouma practically growled out at Iruma, who in turn immediately backed down, squirming as she stammered out fragments of various, unfinished insults at Ouma. The short boy just rolled his eyes at the action before looking over to Shuuichi like he wanted some kind of back up in whatever the hell was going on.

“I apologize for interrupting, but Atua was not aware that Ouma would be joining us today.”

“Yeah, neither was I,” Shuuichi said sharply, not looking away from Ouma.

“See, even Saihara over here is growing a spine because of how obnoxious you are,” Iruma cut in.

Ouma’s expression bounced right back from the pleading look he was giving Shuuichi into a mischievous grin. “Well, like I said, I wanted to spend some time with my beloved Saihara-chan." Shuuichi was about to make up some excuse that would get Ouma to stay at the beach, but held his tongue as soon as he continued. “And besides, if I don't go with you guys, then who am I supposed to spend the whole day talking about your secret little real estate property out in the jungle?!”

Iruma regained herself, eyes narrowing. “So you're blackmailing us into letting you come.”

“Whaaat? I just wanted to spend some time with some of my absolute _favorite_ people on the island!”

“Fine. You can come.” Shuuichi finally gave in. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Sure, Ouma had a bad history in terms of getting along with Iruma and Angie, but maybe he’d be too busy bothering Shuuichi to start any fights. A delay in the design and construction of a new place to live was the last thing that they needed.

“But-“ Iruma was seething at this, now glaring at Shuuichi for letting Ouma join them so easily.

“We can’t let anyone find out we’re doing this. It’s way too early for that kind of thing, they’ll shoot down the idea before we even get to properly try it.” Shuuichi cut her off.

That seemed to be enough to get her to back off, but he knew it was only temporary. The second that Ouma even spoke up again, he was fairly certain she would erupt back into vulgar banter with him. Gonta looked just as confused as he first was when Shuuichi had come over, but he gave Ouma a polite welcome regardless. Angie, meanwhile, looked completely unfazed by the conversation that had just taken place. 

There was nothing Shuuichi wouldn't give to have that level of aloofness right now.

“And we’re off!” Ouma declared as he strode past the rest of the group and into the jungle, heading in the entirely wrong direction.

“Maybe if we don't say anything, he’ll just keep going and we can go to the pine forest without him.”

Shuuichi barely held back from laughing at Iruma’s muttered words, pretty sure he wasn't meant to hear them. After calling Ouma back in the right direction, the group made their way through the trees, Angie leading and Shuuichi trailing in the back, watching as Iruma and Ouma broke into another argument. He hoped Gonta wasn't listening to what they were saying and getting the wrong impression of what any kind of gentleman was like.

* * *

The rest of the group’s reactions to the clearing hidden in the jungle hadn't been much different from Shuuichi’s. Any distrust they may have had at the idea of using the space that Angie had found seemed to disappear from their faces as they took in the scenery around them. Iruma had quickly agreed from there to at least cooperate with the other girl for the time being, seeming to be on board for the first major project she’d managed to get her hands on since the crash.

After that, the day flew past. Shuuichi made it his goal to keep Ouma for disrupting the peace between the two girls while making polite conversation with Gonta. At first, he was worried that talking to the other would be difficult, especially with Ouma practically hanging off of him, but found that he was actually super easy to get along with. And when Shuuichi asked him about the different bugs he had found on the island, the dark haired boy didn't even have to keep trying to talk anymore, just nodding along as he listened to the other talk.

He shouldn't have let his guard down, apparently. Shuuichi let himself enjoy the rest of the day as he walked through the jungle with Gonta and Iruma, the group doing their best to gather as many materials as they could to bring back to Angie to work into something usable for their new architecture project. 

If he were to guess what the next absurd thing was that they would run into on the island, he would have definitely guessed wrong. The three were working together to gather some vine that Gonta had claimed could be easily used as a sturdy rope when they heard a loud, low grunt behind them. Shuuichi was the first to turn around and froze in shock at what he saw.

As he watched, the animal in front of him rose up onto large hind legs, towering high above him, stark white against the dark of the trees.

Lips pulled back to reveal teeth that the made the boy shudder in fear. He didn't even notice as Iruma turned around to see what was wrong while Gonta continued in pulling apart the vines. All Shuuichi could do was let out a startled yelp of, “Bear!” that was interrupted by a loud roar from the animal.

Shuuichi was lucky to have Gonta there, seeing as the other did not hesitate to turn around and pull him and Iruma into his grip, getting the two to turn and sprint behind him, thundering steps following much too closely behind for any of their comfort. He could feel the heavy, hot breath of the animal beating against him. Just when Shuuichi was preparing himself to accept that he was not faster than a bear, he saw their saving grace in the distance.

“Rope, bridge” He panted out, lungs burning. Gonta must have caught the words with how he changed direction to head over to the structure Shuuichi had spotted. Ahead of them stretched a fragile looking bridge, rope pulled taught and fraying as it desperately struggled to keep from snapping. It could work, he thought to himself, so long as Gonta manages to cross it, then it would work. 

“Gonta! Wait!” Shuuichi called ahead as they drew near. “You need to go last, just trust me!” The other looked a little confused at the request, but nodded anyway. “Iruma you first, just run across straight across the middle, we’ll be right behind you.”

He didn't need to tell the girl twice, though, as she charged across the swaying bridge without hesitation, only stumbling when a panel of wood snapped below her, tumbling downward into a great drop. Thankfully, Shuuichi was already on the bridge, his own weight stabilizing with when she lost her balance, keeping them both upright. 

He was halfway across when he glanced over his shoulder to where Gonta was still waiting, bear growing far too close for Shuuichi’s comfort levels and without a doubt for the other boy’s as well. “Gonta, you can cross now!”

The other immediately began to run after him, the bridge jolting under the weight. When Shuuichi had finally crossed, he turned around, Gonta only a few steps behind him. On the other side of the bridge, the bear had slowed down, but the boy couldn't help worrying that it would still continue its pursuit. It would be impossible for the animal to cross the bridge without it snapping, and despite the fact that this animal has already made Shuuichi fear for his friend’s and his own life so badly, he couldn't just subject the poor thing to plummeting to its fate who knows how far down.

“Jump the rest of the way, Gonta! As hard as you can.” And he did. Much to Shuuichi’s relief, the force made what little strength the worn ropes had give way, snapping and sending the bridge to fall limp against the side of the cliff across from them. The bear forced itself to a stop, but its focus never left the group of teenagers.

“Okay,” Iruma panted. “Can someone please tell me why the fuck we just ran away from a polar bear!?”

Shuuichi just shook his head wordlessly, bent over as he tried to catch his breath. Gonta seemed to be the least affected of the group by far, hardly even winded from running as fast as he could. Or at least as fast as Iruma and Shuuichi could.

“Gonta does not know either.” Both of them looked over to the detective as if he somehow knew what something that belonged in _the Arctic_ was doing in an island in the middle of the Pacific.

He shrugged, hoping that would convey whatever they wanted to hear at the moment before looking around them at the unfamiliar part of the jungle. They’d have to get back to Ouma and Angie soon. And then back to the entire group to tell them about the polar bear. But that just brought them back to a much more immediate issue.

“We broke the bridge.”

“And what about it, Shittyhara.”

“We’re lost.”

“Yeah, no shit.”

“No, listen. We broke the bridge after isolating ourselves on an unfamiliar part of this island.” Shuuichi said. “We don't have any way to cross back to the rest of the group now.”

“Oh,” Iruma eloquently replied. “We’re lost.”

* * *

“Shouldn’t they be back by now?” Kokichi groaned in annoyance, looking over to the artist.

Angie simply ignored him, attention devoted entirely to whatever it was she was trying to do with the wood that the group had brought back before going to look for something to make rope from. God, what Kokichi wouldn't give to be with Saihara and even Iruma instead of quite possibly the most boring person on the entire island.

Why, of everyone there, did he agree to stay behind with the only person who never seemed to react to anything ever?

“Maybe they died.”

“Atua has assured me that they are alive and well.”

And then there was that creepy-ass Atua thing she kept going off about. There was no way that was an actual religion. It was definitely more of a cult, in Kokichi’s honest opinion.

“What are you even making?” He questioned from where he stood, back against the trunk of a pine tree. From what he could tell, all that the girl had done so far was strip the bark off the long chunks of wood that had been brought over.

“I am not sure yet, but when it is time, Atua will show me.”

“Yep, I’m sure he will,” Kokichi muttered, rolling his eyes.

The boy turned around to face the pine tree, looking up at its branches. He narrowed his eyes as he studied it, trying to think of something he could do to keep himself occupied and away from the cult chick. With all his strength, the boy jumped upwards, grabbing onto the lowest branch of the tree. He swayed around, struggling to pull himself up onto it, thankful that being small came through in ways like letting him climb trees that other people his age would be better off not testing the strength of.

When he was balanced on the branch, he stood upright, reaching for his next step upward. He spared a look over his shoulder, finding that Angie was still distracted by her self-assigned job. With a huff of frustration, Kokichi turned his attention back to the tree, making his way up as quickly as he could, accidentally snapping a few branches on accident as he cycled between cursing and praising his own size for its various advantages and disadvantages.

Finally he reached as high up as he was sure he could get without the top of the tree leaning too far for him to balance. Looking below him offered no sight of the artist, much to his appreciation. _Atua bless you, my dear tree, _he thought to himself flatly.__

____

He pulled the thin branch nearest to him downward, clearing his view and earning him the first unblocked sight of the island from above.

____

_Holy shit. _It was amazing. This clearing that Angie had found seemed to be at the island’s highest point from what he could tell. In all directions around him, he could see the sloping green of the jungle, broken up in parts by brown and gray of rocks and dirt. If he looked closely, he could even catch a glimpse of the river that Saihara and the others had found when they first got arrived on the island. Behind him, he could see the beach with the broken plane, and the dots that were undoubtedly the rest of the Survivors as they wandered around the sand.__

______ _ _

But that wasn't what really caught his attention. The purple haired boy stared at the silver structure on the other side of the island, just across from what seemed to be a great chasm that split the island into two distinct parts. He couldn't see a ton of the structure, but he sure knew a building when he saw one, especially after about a week trapped on an island that wasn't supposed to have any. And that, right there, was absolutely some kind of building.

______ _ _

If he had to guess right then, he’d say some kind of warehouse. But the exterior was ill maintained, leaves scattered across the stained roof. _So what exactly is an abandoned warehouse doing on a mystery island in the middle of the ocean?_

______ _ _

Of course the building just had to keep getting better as he studied it, squinting at weird shapes that sat on top of the deteriorated roof. _No way. Those are_ not _actual fucking satellite dishes._ Kokichi thought it was fairly obvious what he had to do next. He had to find out how to cross that split in the island and he had to go check out the abandoned warehouse.

______ _ _

He scrambled down the tree haphazardly, Angie questioning whether he was alright when he got to the bottom, barely staying upright when he jumped the last few branches. The boy wasn't even sure exactly which excuses he gave on his way past her, mind too busy trying to figure out the building to focus on thinking up a decent lie. Oh well, he wasn't a stranger to coming up with half-truths without realizing he was even doing it, he'd just have to hope his subconscious knew what it was doing as he made his way out.

______ _ _

Parting the trees on the edge of the clearing and making his way back into the humid jungle, he couldn't keep the spring from his step, excitement egging him forward and barely keeping him from tripping over his own feet.

______ _ _

This island just seemed to be full of secrets, and luckily for him, Kokichi was more than happy to spend his time trying to figure those secrets out.

______ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * ~~eric andre~~ shuuichi saihara voice* ok, ladies and gentlmen, a ~~grizzly~~ polar bear. ~~grizzly~~ polar bear. aaalright. ohhh my god. uhhh. do you, do you uh, welcome to the sh- ahhhhh f*ck... this is still safe right? I no longer,, am a fan of this bit... aaAAAA
> 
> in other news thank u again for reading this, tbh i didnt think this fic would even get this far so the support yall have given so far really means a lot!!


	6. Chapter 6

Shuuichi wanted more than anything to swat at the mosquitos hovering around him, but so far such attempts were met with an angry Gonta yelling at him for hating bugs. Meanwhile, Iruma had taken ignoring the bugs in favor of grumbling something about how she might as well have brought the transceiver with her if they were just going to be wandering around the jungle all day.

So far, the group had spent so long walking along the edge of the chasm that the sky was beginning to change colors, and the temperature of the island was beginning to drop. Still, not another pathway like the rope bridge from before had even been hinted at. 

Shuuichi came to a stop, tired feet showing their appreciation when he finally did. 

“I don't think we’re going to find any other ways to cross.” The other two stopped and looked over to him when he spoke.

“What exactly do you propose we do about that?” Iruma must be exhausted, he absently noted as she didn't slip even a subtle innuendo into the question.

“It might be a good idea to head into the jungle, instead of just wandering on the edge. Maybe there something the pine forest in there that we can spend the night in.”

“Gonta agrees.” Shuuichi smiled up at the other in appreciation of the back up.

At the same time, Iruma went straight from exhausted to pissed off. “What do you mean, spend the night, shrimpdick?”

“It’s getting dark and cold, Iruma,” he reasoned. “And so far on the island we’ve already seen a polar bear and then there’s whatever broke the cockpit in half still around. Blindly wandering around all night is just begging for something to come after us.”

That seemed to get the point across to the blonde, who let her posture slouch at the argument, giving in and agreeing with the detective. 

With their new plan of action decided, Shuuichi turned to face the jungle. Hoping that his unease with his own idea wasn't too obvious to the others, he made his way into the mess of green. The group followed behind him, so he found it safe to assume that his bluff of confidence came across the way he had hoped. Or at least they were able to ignored the fake reassurance he directed at them.

As they walked, though, all they found was more and more lush greenery that just grew darker with the setting sun. Soon enough, they’d just be lost in the thick of the jungle over night, and Shuuichi was beginning to regret his suggestion to leave the chasm entirely. 

The was when his footstep clattered, echoing as he froze in place. The other two behind him must have heard it too, everyone stopping in confusion over the sound. Shuuichi looked below him and his confusion only grew at what he discovered.

There, right below his foot, was a half-buried slab of metal.

Shuuichi stepped to the side before kneeling down to take a closer look at the chunk of metal. When he looked close enough, he noticed that the ages of the metal went below the first and plants gathered around them, stretching onward for who knew how far.

Iruma tustve noticed too, because she leaned over and took to scraping away at what soil she could, trying to clear their latest discovery on the island. But no matter how far she pushed back the dirt, more of that glinting material kept showing up, with no clear edge in sight. 

Thinking back to the initial sound it had made, Shuuichi realized that there might be more to the object below them, and cautiously knocked a balled his against the unrelenting material.The sound echoed downward, confirming his suspicions.

“It’s hollow,” he quietly observed to himself.

“Hey, sluts, come look at this!”

Shuuichi straightened up, eyes turning to where Iruma was struggled against something. When she shifted her weight, he could see that she had slipped her flingers under the edge of a crooked sheet of metal, trying with all of her effort to pull it up, but no matter how hard she tried it wouldn't budge.

Maybe if Shuuichi could find something to leverage the metal with, they would be able to pull it free and see what was inside of the hollow discovery. He turned around to scan the scenery. _Maybe we could use some kind of branch as a lever? No, the wood would definitely break before the metal moved at all._

The sound of metal tearing wrenched the detective from his thoughts, sending him whirling back around to find Gonta standing there with the sheet of metal pulled back, leaving a large opening in the ground.

_Or we could do that._

“Well we wanted somewhere sheltered to spend the night, didn't we? Just don't get any ideas while we’re down there, you creeps.” Iruma said, about to jump right into the hole without even bothering to see how safe it was at all.

“Hold on, we don't know her down this goes or whats at the bottom,” Shuuichi pointed out, grabbing a stone from the jungle floor before dropping it into the darkness. It didn't take long at all for the sound of it colliding with more metal came through, landing with a small splash and a gentle echo.

Iruma looked up to Shuuichi smugly, as if she somehow knew before hand that it wouldn't be some giant drop. He held back an indignant sound at her expression and instead let the girl lower herself gently downward. 

“It’s like some kind of big, wet, tunnel down here.”

Rolling his eyes at the description, Shuuichi followed Iruma’s steps, dropping heavy to the ground below him, a thin layer of water across the steel wetting the sides of his shoes on impact. All around him was absolute darkness, broken up only by the faint outline of the inventor’s silhouette, barely even possible to see thanks to the fading light coming from above.

Turning his attention away, the boy stretched his arms out ahead of him, only to be stopped by the cold smoothness of more metal less than an arms length away. Looking up, he caught sight of Gonta standing over the edge of the entrance they had created. If Shuuichi had to guess, he would honestly believe that even the giant polar bear from before could stand in this tunnel without even worrying about bumping its head.

He stepped away from where he landed, realizing that the group had managed to get into yet _another_ dilemma by not thinking things through well enough.

“Gonta wait, don't come down yet. There’s no way back out of here, can you do us a huge favor and go find some of those vines you were going to use as ropes before?” Behind him, Iruma said something about Shuuichi being into bondage that the latter elected to ignore. “We’ll wait here for you to come back, and then when we know we have a way back out, we’ll explore down here.”

Above him, Gonta agreed to the plan before wandering off, and Shuuichi was practically dragged away by Iruma.

“No way we’re just waiting here in the dark, Shithara, you may be into some kind of weird ass psychological edging, but I sure as hell am not.”

“What does that even mean…” He trailed off behind her, letting himself be tugged ahead by the iron grip around his arm.

Shuuichi fell into step beside the girl, or at least he assumed he did, judging by the sounds of the footsteps next to him. As he walked he found that her description of the area down here was, although less pleasant than desired, quite accurate. Around them, the metal seemed to stretch on for ages in wither direction. To his left, the detective had stretched his arm to rest against the damp metal on the side of the tunnel. To his side, Iruma had taken to doing the same with her right arm.

Suddenly the girl next to him let out a loud squeal, freezing in place.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, trying to look to the girl in concern, but only finding more of the same darkness that surrounded him in every other direction.

The sound of creaking filled his ears, followed by an excited puff of breath. “Nothing! There is absolutely nothing wrong. In fact, I may have some good news.”

Shuuichi was about to ask what she was talking about when his vision filled with white. He scrunched his eyes shut at the brightness, groaning in pain at the feeling that erupted behind them. To replace the stifling silence came a continuous buzzing from above them.

Slowly, the detective opened his eyes back up to see a proud Iruma standing triumphantly next to an opened power box. 

“Let there be light!” Iruma yelled, voice echoing down the cold, gray halls around them. 

The buzzing of the fluorescent lights above the detective must have been contagious, because before he knew it, Shuuichi was buzzing with his own energy. “Iruma that was amazing! You’re a genius!”

The girl grew flustered at the response, unable to hormone of her typical retorts at the praise.

Without waiting for her to force one out, Shuuichi looked around them, taking int he scene. His first guess about the height of the tunnel seemed to be at least close to correct, the fluorescent lights dangling just below the ceiling of the intricate tunnels. The unnatural light reflected eerily across the metal walls around them.

At first glance, the corridor seemed grand, but as the detective looked closer, he could see places where soil had collected. Thinking back to how they had gotten into the tunnels in the first place, he considered the very likely possibility that whatever structure they had found was compromised in other spots, the first having to have blown in from _somewhere_.

But the most notable thing, by far, was the last thing Shuuichi played his eyes upon. In front of the pair, the hallway ended, a gated door blocking their way.

He stepped up to it, gripping the iron bars and pulling, the door screeching open with difficulty. Iruma caught on, stepping up to lend him a hand.

When the gateway was eventually dragged open, Iruma didn't hesitate before stepping through, Shuuichi following close behind as they made their way through a much more narrow hallway than the corridors, metal around them gradually being replaced by stone.

It felt like they were walking for ages when they finally came to a large, open room. But then again, that may have come from the fact that as they walked it grew later into the night, and the lights above grew dim and began to flicker as they moved onward.

The large open space that they found was vast, and hardly any light shone in from the corridors that they had just made their way through. In the dim lighting, Shuuichi could only make out one object in the entire room, a tall ladder attached to the side of the wall and leading upwards into shadow. Around him, there were no entrances aside from the path he and Iruma had taken, with the exception of wherever that ladder led to.

Shuuichi must have been more worn out by the events of the day than he had realized, exhaustion from running from a bear and even putting up with Ouma’s fighting with Iruma felt like they happened on an entirely different day thanks to the discovery of the underground tunnels. But they most definitely did all happen on the same day, if the soreness that the detective finally let himself feel in his muscles were anything to go by.

In front of him, Iruma wandered around the length of the room, feeling the walls as if looking for another breaker in the darkness. But her search must have gone differently than she had hoped for, seeing as she just ended up yawning and settling down against one of the walls.

“Well? Weren’t you the one who wanted to find somewhere to stay the night away from polar bears and shit? Because I have some good news for you,” she called out from her spot.

Shuuichi did have to admit she had a point, but his mind still worried. “What about Gonta, though?”

“So? What about him? Dude’s entirely muscle. And besides, if I’m going to be entirely honest here, I’m pretty sure he’s more in his element stranded in a jungle on a deserted island than the rest of us put together.”

His thoughts paused at Iruma’s argument and he looked over the girl as she picked absently at her nails. He hadn't even thought about it like that, but Iruma was probably right in her judgement. Still, he couldn't completely disregard his concern for the other. He should _probably_ be alright without them. And if he wasn't then Shuuichi could only hope that he would go the right way if he came to look for the two in the tunnels.

But there wasn't really anything he could do about that now, seeing as Iruma was dead set on staying in the stone lined room that they had found and Shuuichi wasn't about to leave her all alone.

He frowned at the image of the girl wandering alone through the mass of a tunnel that they had found and getting lost beyond recovery along the way. But at some point he finally got the image out of his head, and was starting to relax in the constant quiet of the room, only broken up by Iruma’s breathing if he focused hard enough to listen to it.

Only when his thoughts were flittering out of his reach, mind succumbing to sleep, did he remember that in their rush today, the trio had completely left behind the entire rest of the group. Before he could reawaken with the possibilities that the others were trying to look for them in the danger of the night, he slipped into a deep rest.

* * *

Of every sound the island provided, metal scraping metal had to be Shuuichi’s least favorite, he decided as he was jerked awake by the piercing sound. A loud shout sounded from the other side of the room, and the boy didn't need to be any kind of detective to know that whatever was making the sound had woken Iruma, too. 

Whatever was making the sound paused for a moment before resuming, Iruma sending Shuuichi a confused look that he could only mirror. All that either of them could tell was that, whatever the source of the noise was, it was above them, and had reacted to the inventor’s shout.

But neither of the two had to spend very long trying to figure out exactly what was making the sound, because soon enough, a circle of light shone above them, brightening the room from it’s spot directly above the ladder. And in that circle of light was none other than their favorite gentle giant.

“Gonta!” Iruma shouted up excitedly, smile genuine.

Shuuichi couldn't agree with the reaction more. At least until another familiar figure popped up behind the tall boy. 

“Ouma?”

“Hey there, Saihara-chan! Long time no see,” Ouma called down to him with a wide smile. The expression turned sour in the blink of an eye as he stared down at Iruma. “You too, I suppose.”

“Gonta very happy to see friends okay!”

 _Shouldn’t we be the ones saying that to you?_ Shuuichi questioned internally. He turned to Iruma, offering to let her go up the ladder first in an attempt at being polite, which was met with an accusation of wanting to look up her skirt that he rushed to refute.

Eventually, she let him off the hook and he made his way up the ladder. Once he reached the top, he was pulled into a crushing hug by Gonta that he barely managed to struggle out of before Ouma latched onto him. 

“Oh how I’ve missed you, my beloved! Gonta is so boring! He’s too stupid to even notice when I’m messing with him, and when I finally tell him that I was he just accepts it,” the smaller boy whined from where he was practically hanging off of Shuuichi’s arm. “Promise you’ll be more fun?”

“I cant exactly promise that,” Shuuichi said, making Ouma’s pout grow significantly more teary eyed. He sighed, “Alright I’ll be more fun.”

Ouma let out a cheer at this, throwing his arms to rest behind his head as he swayed back. But the movement seemed somehow less smooth than usual, the smaller boy’s eyes widening by just a fraction as he shifted his balance around.

Shuuichi narrowed his eyes at this, taking in the other boy carefully. His mind reminded him of the bear and the monster that had made less than pleasant appearances on the island, and he began to wonder if something had managed to frighten the other boy.

“Did something happen while we were separated?”

Gonta looked like he was ready to answer the question on Ouma’s behalf, but the purple haired boy cut him off first. “Nope! I was exploring the island on my own and ran into Gonta by pure chance. It was a pretty lucky run-in, too, judging by who desperate he was to find you two and make sure you were alright.”

Something about the story seemed off to Shuuichi, but he wasn't sure exactly what part he should be trying to call Ouma out on, so he just nodded in understanding. 

“Where exactly on the island are we, anyways?” He asked, looking over to Ouma.

The other boy took a moment to acknowledge the question, but when he did his face turned smug. “Wait until you see this place, you guys! We’ve really been missing out on some fun here on this island.”

Shuuichi spared a glance towards the other two, but if they had caught Ouma’s hesitation then they weren't showing it. Or they just didn't care. The detective wasn't sure which option he’d prefer to be true.

“Gonta can lead us, cant you, big guy?” Ouma asked from where he stood, still holding onto Shuuichi tightly. Gonta nodded at the question before heading off between some trees and along a path invisible to the detective.

Iruma and Gonta had sparked up a conversation a few steps ahead of them, but Shuuichi couldn't bring his attention anywhere near it. Instead, all of his focus was directed to the boy who was _still_ holding onto his arm for dear life. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more the grip seemed to be putting weight against him than simply pulling him down.

The observation made his heart race in worry. Shuuichi tried to think back to what Ouma had said, desperately trying to figure out exactly what it was that made the story stand out. What hidden truth could have been buried among lies.

It took the feeling of clammy hands slipping when the shorter boy stumbled a little for him to remember how Ouma had described his finding Gonta the night before. What were his exact words, again? _Lucky. He said it was a pretty lucky run-in,_ he realized. Anxiety levels rising, Shuuichi looked down to the boy, trying to catch his gaze, but as they walked he didn't even catch on, eyes unfocused as he studied the ground in front of him, grip still a vice against Shuuichi’s arm. 

“Ouma…” No response.

“Ouma.” He tried again.

“Kokichi!” At that, Ouma finally snapped to attention, looking up at Shuuichi with obvious confusion written across his face. 

When Shuuichi looked closely, he could see a thin layer of sweat spreading across the pale skin, and he reached to wipe some of the unpleasant dampness away. Ouma flinched at the movement, pulling backwards, but the detective switched his hold on his arm, keeping him upright as he extended a hand to gently brush at the other’s forehead.

He carefully brushed back the other boy’s long hair, revealing a nasty stain of red at the top of his head. Shuuichi’s eyes widened, anxiety turning into a full blown panic as he held the other boy, eyes trained on the wound on the top of his head.

Ouma, meanwhile, started spluttering halfway thought through excuses, trying to loosen Shuuichi’s grip on him.

“Ouma, what actually happened? Why was it so lucky that Gonta found you?” He pressed, the other still mumbling lazy lies.

“Kokichi, please!” Shuuichi practically shouted at the other in desperation, making him cringe backwards at the sudden noise.

“Gonta told not to tell,” A voice interrupted Shuuichi in his frightened excuse of an interrogation, pulling both his and Kokichi’s attention to the other boy. “But Gonta will if Saihara needs to know.”

The detective frowned at this, looking back to the small boy that was struggling more and more to stay upright as he spent his energy fighting the grip around his arm. Whatever had happened, Kokichi must have been embarrassed enough about it to tell Gonta he wasn't allowed to tell anyone what had happened. Which in turn meant it was most definitely something serious.

Kokichi finally gave in to his grip, giving up in fighting against it as he continued to sway uneasily on his feet. 

“Fine, if my beloved Saihara-chan wants to know so badly, then I’ll tell him. But only after he sees what I found.”

 _Of course he has to be difficult,_ Shuuichi thought to himself. But he agreed nonetheless, figuring that this was probably his only chance of getting the other to confess what actually happened before they found each other.

So with that, he continued to lend a shoulder and arm to keeping the small boy upright as they followed Gonta through more trees, wondering just what could be such an important discovery that it came before dangerous head injuries.

After what felt like way too long to be ignoring the fact that the person next to looked as if he were about to collapse any second, the trees parted, making way for a large, half deteriorated building.

“Ta-da!” Kokichi whispered from next to him. Shuuichi found it safe to assume that the exclamation was meant to be more of a shout, and probably was intended to come with some unnecessary gesturing.

They followed Gonta from there as he led them to a cracked open door, opening it to reveal what looked like a halfway fallen apart warehouse filled with empty shelves and broken catwalks. Along the edges of the grand room, Shuuichi could see a handful of closed doors, and began to question just what they could hold behind them when he was interrupted by Kokichi’s weight leaving his side entirely.

“Anyways, as much as I love spending time with all of you, I’ll be taking my leave now!” The false confidence was not lost on Shuuichi, who only cocked a brow at the other’s sudden return of a sense of balance. 

“Ouma, I can see you holding onto the rail behind you,” He stated flatly, making the other frown in disappointment. He hesitated before he continued. “You know, if you’re uncomfortable telling all of us what happened, you don't have to tell everyone.”

Kokichi paused for a moment, gaze flickering over to Gonta and Iruma before he nodded. The blonde must have taken the hint, throwing a lazy insult at the purple haired boy before asking Gonta to show here what there was in the warehouse.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Shuuichi made his way to Kokichi, gently helping him into a sitting position leaning against the wall for support. 

The other boy let out an annoyed huff before finally speaking up. “So I _might_ have bumped my head.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me planning this: ok so im just gonna try to stick more with characters im more familiar with  
> me writing this: sorry all i know is gonta and miu now. momota and harukawa who?
> 
> on an unrelated note, thank you for such sweet and excited comments on the last chapter it rlly means a lot!!


	7. Chapter 7

When Kokichi had decided to go check out that warehouse on the other side of the island, he had definitely forgotten to think through his most recent dilemma.

“Well shit,” he said to himself, looking across the jagged cliffs across from and below him. “How the fuck am I supposed to cross this.”

Maybe if he had some kind of bridge or something, he considered internally, he could cross it with ease. But as it were, the great chasm that split the island was beyond too big to try and leap across, and way too deep for him to eve consider the prospect of climbing down on his side and back up again on the other.

He wasn't even sure what was waiting for him at the bottom, anyways. When he listened closely, he wondered how likely it was that steep cliffs were divided by water, washing in from the ocean around the lump of sand and trees that it surrounded.

But that didn't matter. What did matter was finding a way to get to the other side, preferably in one piece and before it gets dark out. In the end, he decided that it would be best to just venture down the length of the chasm and see if he could find anything helpful along the way. Who knew, maybe he could even find a spot where the opposing edges of the island came close enough that he could just jump across.

As he walked, though, he failed to find such a spot, only seeing the same edges of the same cliffs completely uninterrupted. Kokichi considered just giving up and going back tot he group, but his desire to reach the building he had seen easily outweighed his boredom with his search for a way there thus far.

However, after a while, what little determination he still had began to slip, and Kokichi dropped himself to the ground, sitting uncomfortably with a loud sound of frustration. Maybe he would have to give up an just go convince someone else to help him find a way across. For the time being, though, he would just sit and watch the sunset through the break in the trees that the split rock provided him with.

It was when he was watching the golden sky fade to darkness that he finally caught a glimpse of torn rope and broken wood dangling from his side of the cliff. Eagerness to cross the chasm returning full force, he rushed over to where what he could safely assume was once a bridge gently swayed in the breeze. 

This was it. This was Kokichi’s ticket across the chasm. All he had to do was find a way to get it back up and open for business.

Kokichi found it safe to assume that for may others, such a task would be impossible, but he was nothing if not crafty, and he was certain he could at least figure _something_ out.

After a while of trying to search in the growing darkness for something he could use and growing frustrated when every beginning of a plan that he could come up with didn't make enough logical sense to even risk trying, he was ready to give up. Frustration filled him, weighing him down as he picked up a stick from the ground nearby, hurling it away from him and waiting for the satisfying _snap_ that he knew would come.

But the sound never came. Kokichi turned around in the direction he had thrown the stick, staring dumbstruck at where it had lodged itself into the cliff face sitting opposite of him.

An idea, a most definitely very stupid one, started to form in the boy’s mind, and he set to finding the strongest free branch he could, pulling and lifting at the trees around him seemingly randomly before setting on a branch that was lick and heavy on one side, but tapered off to a sharp edge on the other. 

Once he stripped the branch of the extra twigs sticking out of it, he laid it beside him as he hauled the broken rope bridge back up and over the edge of the cliff. Tugging the rope experimentally, he decided that this ridiculous plan of his might actually work by some miracle, and set to securing the edges of the ropes to the branch he had selected. 

When he was finally content with the knots, he took a deep breath before standing up, branch in hand. 

“Okay, Kokichi,” he muttered under his breath, lifting the branch beside him. “No big deal. It’s just like throwing one of those javelin things.” The boy pulled his arm back, getting ready to launch the branch. “Which you’ve never thrown one of those either.” His eyes locked onto a crack in the cliff across from him. “But there’s a first time for everything!”

The branch went flying, and Kokichi worried that it would just bounce off of the stone and he would be back to square one all over again. But instead, the wood lodged itself into the rock, rope pulled tight behind it.

“It worked!” He shouted to no one.

Now of course, came the more difficult part of his plan. Walking up to the edge, he carefully extended a single foot in front of him. When he gently pressed more and more of his weight on the rope, he couldn't deny the shiver of fear that went through him.

He had to actually cross it now, and suddenly his plan to use a broken bridge, a tree branch, and a giant ass drop to make a tight rope sounded absolutely terrible. 

Not willing to let himself overthink the plan, he continued to cautiously his weight forward onto the rope, keeping a close eye on where wood met rock. Just as long as the wood didn't break, and the brach didn't slip, and the rope didn't snap, and he didn't lose his balance, he would be alright. 

“No big deal,” he tried to lie to himself. “It’s just like any other time you have to walk straight forward.”

With a deep breath, he shifted the last of his weight and stepped forward onto the rope. When it didn't immediately snap, he took another hesitant step forward across it, arms stretched out on either side in an attempt to balance. With every passing second as he crossed the makeshift tight rope, he could feel each muscle trying to keep himself straight upright. 

Fighting the urge to crush his eyes shut and collapse from the overwhelming adrenaline, Kokichi continued onward. After way too long, he reach the edge of the rope, and reached shaky hands forward to grip at the top edge of the cliff. 

“Okay. Do or die.” He whispered to himself, not even realizing that he had voiced his thoughts aloud. “Literally.”

His fingers surely around the edge of the stone above his head, trying to find the best possible position before he used all the strength his arms held to pull him upward, feet rushing for the wall of stone as soon as they were gently lifted off of the fraying rope. Frantically, Kokichi hauled himself upward and over the edge of the cliff, collapsing onto the mess of dirt and leaves that lead there, breath coming out in ragged pants after being held in for so long.

He wasn't sure how long it took for his breath to even out and his heart to slow down, but when they finally did, he sat up with more than a little difficulty, body much rather wanting to stay laying down and not have to put any thought or effort into moving until he could forget about his entire experience dabbling in balancing acts.

But he had only just crossed the chasm, and he knew form his view atop the pine tree that he had only just started his walk to the warehouse. On top of that, Kokichi knew without a shadow of a doubt that he would want to explore the building as soon as he got to it, and that he couldn't exactly do that if he just gave into sleep right here in the dark of the jungle.

Kokichi got up to unsteady feet, slowly making his way into the unforgiving shadows of the forest at night. 

After a while of walking, he finally reached a parting in the trees, and let himself grow excited at the sight of the warehouse towering right in front of him. Bursting with energy, the boy ran toward one of the many doors, tripping over something along the way. He straightened up, looking to see what looked like some kind of hatch hidden beneath the green of the jungle plants.

Deciding that he would have to check it out after the warehouse, he continued on to the building’s door, pleased to find that the lock had grown rusted with disuse, granting him complete access to the building.

The door definitely had some bite to it, and he suspected that the hinges were likely in a state similar to the lock. When he finally managed to get the door open wide enough to slip in, he did just that. Around him, the building seemed to softly glow with light. A quick glance upward confirmed this, gaping holes in random sections of the ceiling letting in star and moonlight.

The place almost seemed magical in a haunting way with its soft glow and collapsing form. But Kokichi didn't come here to stare at it. No, what he wanted to see more than anything else in this warehouse was on the roof. He just had to figure out ho to get there.

With that, he took to wandering through the building, stopping whenever he saw something potentially claimable that might grant him roof access, but every time he tried, he would come to the conclusion that his way up would more likely than not break before he could even get near the roof.

Eventually, he was ready to give up when he noticed the catwalk along the edge top of the farthest wall of the warehouse, bordered by a gap in the roof above it.

“Perfect.” He commented aloud, steps picking up in speed as he made his way to the raised walkway. 

All he had to do was find a way up there and he’d be home free.

The small boy took to searching the warehouse for anything that could help him reach the catwalk. When he caught sight of a large later lying sideways on the floor, he let out an excited shout, running over to haul his finding over to the catwalk we he was trying to reach.

After a brief struggle against the weight of the metal ladder, Kokichi managed to lift it upward, balancing the weight against the side of the warehouse. When he gripped the ladder it wobbled under the stress, making him frown.

“No. I’ve already gotten this far,” he reassured himself. “I’m not stopping now because some random ladder wobbles just like every other ladder does.”

With that, he started to make his way up, stopping every few seconds to regain his balance and wait for the ladder to stop shaking. After way too long, he reached the top of the ladder, stretching himself to reach the catwalk and pull his weight up and onto it. Immediately he stood up, looking around the warehouse beneath him. 

The building seemed way bigger from here than from back when he climbed the pine tree earlier that day. He started to wonder what the shelves of the warehouse could be holding from him, shrouded in the shadows of the night so that he couldn't identify any of it. But for now, he had a goal. And even though it felt like all he had been doing today was climbing everything in sight, he just had to convince his shaking arms to pull him up one more time so that he could reach the roof, and with it the satellite dishes he had seen.

It was definitely a struggle, Kokichi’s body not a fan of the stress he was putting it under today, but he managed. Once he was on the roof, he paused for a moment, taking in the sight of the island at night.

If he hadn't already almost died so many times, he would probably think it was beautiful.

But he had almost died several times, and he was getting sick of the island for putting him through that. 

Across from where he stood on the roof, he could see vine covered dishes standing tall. Tiredness losing to excitement, he started to make his way over, steps light and quick. Once Kokichi was about halfway across the roof, a far too familiar sound rang out around him, making him trip to a stop, falling to the roof and frantically looking around him, hands reaching to quiet the sound of screeching metal.

The last thing he was aware of before he fell was the roof cracking below him, sending Kokichi down with a yelp of shock, plummeting down to the floor of the warehouse. Pain erupted everywhere across the boy’s body. Blackness began to fill in his vision, and the last thing he remembered before slipping into the darkness was something large towering before him, blurring grays and blues and glowing reds.

Kokichi tried his best to focus on it, but the attempt only made his vision blur more, pain growing before he let his eyes slip shut. The sound of metal returned, this time seeming far more distant before fading entirely. He wasn't sure how much more time passed before he heard a faded thud in the distance, but as soon as the sound hit him, Kokichi felt his consciousness slip away.

* * *

When Kokichi finally opened his eyes back up, his vision felt just as bad as right before he blacked out. After a few minutes of blinking, the warehouse around him started to come into focus. Body aching, he tried to sit up, muscles and head screaming in protest.

The movement was too much, and Kokichi fell back to the ground again with a frustrated sound.

Off to his side someone that he hadn't noticed when he first woke back up stirred, making the boy flinch away from the sound in fear, accidentally jarring his head in the process.

_Shit. Fuck. That’s not good._

He tried to sit up again, this time more successfully. By the time he was back upright, the other person had already reached him, carefully helping him up. He looked over to see that his newest companion was none other than a worried looking Gonta.

Kokichi wanted nothing more than to make the first snide remark that came to his mind, but none were coming. Instead, he chose to let himself be propped with his back to a wall. Gonta was asking way too many questions way too quickly, and every last one just bounced right off of the small boy, completely unaware of what any of those words meant at the moment.

After a while, the words cleared up from a confusing blur into vaguely comprehensible sentences. He still elected to ignore them, though, instead choosing to question where he was and how he even got there in the first place.

_Right. He was with Angie when he saw the warehouse. And then he crossed the chasm somehow. Then something about finding the warehouse and trying to get to the roof. But after that…_

Kokichi couldn't remember anything past climbing up the ladder. If he focused, he could remember the feeling of air rushing past him, but that was as far as his memory would stretch, everything the day before feeling fuzzy, as if he had dreamed it rather than lived it. That was when he realized that the warehouse was significantly brighter than he last remembered, and a short glance upward had him quickly looking back down and away from the bright sky.

He must have been out for a while then.

Much to Gonta’s worry beside him, Kokichi lifted himself onto shaky feet, trying his best to hide the difficulty that the simple action hit him with. Part of him realized that Gonta was still trying to ask him questions, but he continued to ignore them in favor of raising a hand to find the source of the unpleasant stickiness across his face.

When he drew his hand back, it took him a moment to understand why it was suddenly stained in such a deep red. 

Kokichi glanced over to the other boy one more time before forcing a strained smile, making him stop his questions for a moment. The smaller of the two let his relief at the lack of noise wash over him for a fraction of a second before he filled it with his own words, although if he were entirely honest, even Kokichi wasn't sure what he was saying at this point, mouth running on its own. He could only hope it was coherent enough to ease Gonta’s concerns enough for them to move away from any topics revolving around the purple haired boy.

He must have managed to somehow pull that off, because before he knew it Gonta’s expression had turned from concern to frustration as he looked down at Kokichi. 

Suddenly aware that whatever it was that the liar had said could come back to bite him later, he crossed his arms behind his head, consciously withholding the sound of pain that the pressure on his skull threatened to draw out, and instead staring smugly at the other as he finished his speech. “But of course, I can’t have you running around and telling everyone that, can I Gonta? So you have to promise me to keep it a secret, or else I’ll send my entire secret organization after you once we get off this island, does that sound good?”

Gonta reluctantly nodded, unsure of how to proceed with the concussed Kokichi threatening him, apparently.

“Great! So what exactly were _you_ doing down here? And don't even try to lie to me!”

“Gonta was with Saihara and Iruma. Gonta and friends were chased by a bear and ran over a bridge, but the bridge broke. Then Saihara found underground tunnel, and Iruma went with him to look. Gonta went to find something to get them out of it with.”

His mind flitted back to a memory of tripping over a hatch in the dirt in the jungle outside of the warehouse. He never did get to check out what was behind that hidden door, and if Shuuichi and Iruma had discovered some mysterious underground tunnel system, then Kokichi had a guess of where he could get to those tunnels from.

“Gonta was going to return to them, but Gonta found Ouma in warehouse. Ouma looked dead and Gonta was worried.”

Kokichi was really starting to get tired of Gonta claiming that he was worried about him, but he chose not to call the other out on what was obviously some kind of lie. 

“Well I, being the mastermind that I am, think I know exactly where we can find out dear friend. And Iruma.”

The other looked intrigued by Kokichi’s words, and the boy set to wobbling towards the exit of the warehouse, footsteps shaky at first, but slowly gaining confidence as he went. _Sure_ , he thought to himself as he used the inside of his scarf to carefully wipe the slowly dripping blood from his face, _he was having a little bit of difficulty standing and moving, and yeah, I’m pretty sure that having my head crushed would feel better than this, but I’ll be fine._

He stumbled over his next step, thankful when Gonta didn't seem to notice at all. _I’ve been through worse. I’m not entirely sure when, but I’m sure I have. Yes, I’ll be fine._

* * *

“Ouma, I don't think that counts as ‘bumping’ your head when you hit it hard enough to forget how you fell in the first place,” Shuuichi said from where he sat across from the other boy in the warehouse. “But if you really don't remember how you fell, we can probably look around where you woke up. There has to be something that can jog your memory.”

Kokichi jumped up at the suggestion, seeming to regret it when he swayed for a moment, reaching for the rail again.

Shuuichi was ready to offer that the other just stay there and not risk further injuring himself, but the purple haired boy was already making his way over toward the center of the warehouse. Deciding it would be best to just go along with whatever the other boy was saying, Shuuichi decided to just follow him. 

They came to a stop when they reached a pile of debris free of dust, and when Shuuichi looked up he could see the hole in the warehouse ceiling that had to have been where Kokichi had fallen from. The detective shuddered as he noted the height of the warehouse, unintentionally imaging what it would feel like to fall from that high up.

He almost even considered Kokichi lucky for being able to walk away from that when he remembered that the boy hit his head hard enough to barely even remember the entire day beforehand, let alone the incident itself. Shuuichi frowned, concluding that, no, a severe concussion doesn't count as lucky at all, especially when you’re stuck on a deserted island with nothing to help ease the pain.

“So then, my beloved detective, does this mean I get to see you investigate?” Kokichi chirped from where he stood in front of the debris, regathering Shuuichi’s focus. 

He let himself feel slightly relieved at the nickname, though. Between that and the way he referred to Iruma when they first ran into each other in the tunnels, the detective could at least find comfort in the thought that Kokichi’s personality hadn't been changed by the injury.

But that was when he felt himself slip back into focusing on the situation at hand. After all, effects like that came from injuries to the front of the head, which meant it was likely that Kokichi had struck the back of his head on impact. “Hey, Ouma, please give me an honest answer. Which direction were you facing when you woke up?”

“The floor, silly!” Kokichi answered, grinning widely. Shuuichi frowned at him, suspicious of the grin he was giving him. After a minute of silence, Kokichi finally gave a dramatic sigh. “Ah, alright then, if you want to be boring, which you promised you wouldn't be, then I’ll be boring too. That was a little lie, I was facing the ceiling, or I guess the hole in it, when I woke up.”

“Thank you, Kokichi.” The other boy gave a shrug before leaning against the shelves behind him. 

“Whatever, this it boring, so let me know when you find anything actually interesting,” Kokichi whined. Shuuichi was pretty sure that what the other really meant was that he was feeling unwell and couldn't focus at the time, but the detective wasn't ready to call him out on it.

Instead, he turned his attention back to the debris. It was obvious that the smaller boy had been on the roof when it collapsed under him, but when Shuuichi paid attention to the details, it just didn't add up right. If Kokichi had truly just fallen because the roof gave out beneath him, then why was he bleeding across the front of his head despite clearly hitting the back of it. And when Shuuichi took a step back from the scene, another question rose in his mind. 

He was about to ask Kokichi more questions when Gonta and Iruma returned.

Figuring that he was much more likely to get a straight answer from Gonta, the detective turned his attention away from the smaller boy. First he had to verify that Kokichi was telling the truth before. “Hey Gonta, when you found Ouma, was he facing upwards or down?”

“Oh,” Gonta looked thoughtful before he answered the question. “Gonta found Ouma looking at the sky.”

Shuuichi nodded, subconsciously bringing a hand to rest at his chin as he delved back into thought. “One more thing, when you found him, was there any debris on top of him?”

“No, Ouma was on top of the parts of the roof,” Gonta answered confidently.

The detective couldn't help but tense at the information. Not only was Kokichi’s head injury in and of itself weird, but now he was finding out that he had somehow ended up on top of the pieces of the roof that should have definitely hit the ground after the boy.

“Who cares!?” Iruma shouted, the sound making Shuuichi jump in his place as he was dragged from his thoughts. “We found the shota, discovered some weird ass underground tunnels, and now we know that this warehouse is here. It’s about time we head back to the group.”

“Gonta agrees, the group must be worried.”

Well, Shuuichi couldn't argue with that, given that they had been gone for so long and without anyone knowing why. Even more, the person who knew the most was Angie, and she was the least likely out of the entire group to tell the rest of the survivors the real story of how they all got separated. 

“You’re right, we should head back as soon as we can. We should probably get something to cross the chasm with, though,” Shuuichi thought aloud, glancing around the warehouse. Besides, if there was anywhere to look for materials to build more secure structures, with it was probably this place.

“I’m already ahead of you, try to keep with the program, Shittyhara,” Iruma shouted. He looked at her confused, before giving a questioning glance to Gonta who smiled at her words.

“Gonta and Iruma take care of it!”

“While you were busy babysitting your boyfriend-“

“Wait what? He’s not-“

“I, the girl genius Miu Iruma, used that ladder and some broken shelves to make a proper bridge. Gonta’s going to be doing the heavy lifting for us and carrying it, and when we get to the chasm, we’ll just leave it there for future use.”

Shuuichi was almost impressed once he got past how she started her explanation, but his concerns about the Kokichi behind him who didn't say a single thing during the whole conversation overpowered that excitement. “Then it sounds like we’ve got a plan.”

“Gonta will go get bridge now!”

When he came back with the hunk of metal, Iruma took the lead, guiding the way out of the warehouse even though she had absolutely no idea how to navigate through the jungle and back to the beach where the rest of the group still was. Once Gonta had managed to get the new bridge through the door, Shuuichi turned his attention back to a nodding off Kokichi, gently waking him and telling him that they were going back, finding it safe to assume that he hadn't heard any of the plan.

Kokichi didn't take long to lean on Shuuichi, and part of the detective wondered how much of that was actually because he was tired from his concussion given that the smaller boy seemed like he was trying to hug him more than anything else.

Shuuichi tried not to think to much about why the possibility that the boy was exaggerating so that he could hold onto him didn't bother him as much as it probably should.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> slumps are stupid and i’m tired BUT i’m back so take a short chapter while i get used to writing again !!

When they finally got back to the beach, evening was already approaching. Kokichi had progressed from leaning against Shuuichi to practically sleeping on him as they walked. As soon as they could see the light of the signal fire, they heard a shout.

“They’re okay!” Before he could even realize what was going on, Akamatsu and Momota had run over to the detective and his group. Looking past the pair, he could see Angie sitting by the campfire, giving them an easy smile. Shuuichi started to panic, wondering how much anyone even knew about what happened to them.

Kokichi perked up by his side at the noise, pushing back off of the taller boy with one of his usual grins.

“What happened to you guys?” Momota asked Shuuichi, making the detective freeze up. Not knowing how much the rest of the survivors knew was catching up fast. He spared a second glance to Angie hoping for any kind of hint as to what she had told them when he and the other three disappeared for an entire day. But the girl was even less help than ever before, attention turned to watch the waves crash on the beach.

“We got separated from Angie when we were helping with her art project,” Kokichi answered for him, staring down at his nails with a bored expression.

“Yes, Gonta and friends were chased by a giant bear.”

Even though there was absolutely no way for the smaller boy to even know about that detail, he took it in stride, eyes lighting in excitement as he continued on with his story. “It was huge! We ran and _barely_ got away,” he paused to giggle at his own joke, the rest of the group groaning in response. “Of course, by then it was too dark to find our way back here, so we decided we’d be better off camping for the night instead of going and basically looking for that bear on our way back here.”

Shuuichi nodded along at the end of the woven tale, hoping that the other two would catch on and do the same. Gonta looked uncertain about it, but luckily Iruma only looked confused for a couple of seconds before agreeing with the lie.

Angie must not have told them any single thing about what she really knew, because Akamatsu and Momota accepted the story easily. The detective couldn't help the gross feeling swelling up in him, though. Throughout the story, the other two had seemed skeptical to say the least, but had taken it for truth once Shuuichi agreed with it. 

The detective wasn't sure how Kokichi lied all the time, but he was certain that he didn't want to learn make his own habit of it.

Once the rest of the group was satisfied with the retelling of events, they settled into what had become their usual pastimes since the plane had crashed, the only exception being Shuuichi who was trying to halfway drag a dizzy Kokichi off to let him get some rest away from the rest of the crowd.

 

By the time that the beach began to grow dark, the only source of light being the glow of the fire, the group had come to a quiet sleep. After a quick check around him, Shuuichi concluded that he was still the only one awake and silently made his way across the sand to search for Momota and Harukawa.

Choosing not to question exactly how close they had gotten since the crash judging by the fact that he found them together, the detective gently shook Harukawa awake first. The girl must have been a light sleeper, because in the blink of an eye Shuuichi had been pinned with his face in the coarse sand, arm twisted painfully behind him. Almost as quickly as it happened, though, she released him from the grip, taking a step back.

“Saihara?” She whispered, clearly confused by his sudden appearance. “What are you doing awake?”

He took a deep breath to try and calm his nerves before answering. “I need to talk to you and Momota about something, but I think it’d be better to keep it a secret for now.”

This at least seemed to gain her interest, although she still looked cautious from being woken up so unexpectedly. Regardless, the girl nodded her assent, turning to quietly wake the other herself and relay what Shuuichi had told her.

Momota looked more tired than anything else, and agreed to talk with Shuuichi.

“Somewhere else,” he whispered to them. “That way we don't have to worry about waking everyone up.”

The other two must have either understood or been too tired to argue against his idea, because they stood and let the detective lead the way from the beach. He had been hoping that they would ask too many questions, and was relieved to find that Momota was too tired to think to, and Harukawa was too alert to do the same. 

When Shuuichi finally felt that they were far enough away from the beach, he drew to a slow stop before turning to face the other two who were looking at him expectantly.

“I lied,” He stated, already feeling like a huge weight was being lifted from his shoulders.

Harukawa looked entirely too suspicious at the claim. “About what?”

“There’s no art project. Or well there kind of is, except it’s less of an art project and more of an architecture project. But that’s not what I needed to tell you guys about.” He had the other two’s full attention now. Shuuichi fidgeted with the brim of his hat as he continued on, “Angie found a clearing that she thought would be a good place to consider if we decided to move from the beach, and I agreed with her. So, we decided to let Iruma and Gonta in on the idea so that we could figure out how possible it was, and then Ouma invited himself.”

Shuuichi continued on, trying his best to retell every last detail of the story as best as he could. When he was finally done, Harukawa looked deep in thought. Momota, on the other hand, looked excited by what he had heard.

“Maybe there’s something in the warehouse that we could use to get off this island.” Harukawa said at the conclusion of the true story.

“Yeah, I was thinking the same thing!” Momota cheered next to her. “I’m sure that Iruma would be able to figure something out if she was able to make a portable bridge that easily.”

Shuuichi wanted to agree, but couldn't help feeling skeptical about their expectations over how easy the blonde would be to work with. After all, getting her to agree with Angie’s idea had already been difficult enough. Nevertheless, the others’ excitement was contagious, and the detective found himself smiling and nodding along at the suggestion.

* * *

“Saihara-chan please!”

“Ouma, for the fifth time, I cannot get you airline pretzels because we are out of airline pretzels.”

“But my head hurts!”

“Well now mine does, too,” Shuuichi muttered in his frustration, making the other boy snicker in response.

Despite the his answer, and genuinely forming headache, the detective was still fighting down a laugh at the other’s antics. Unlike the boy whining from where he sat on the sand across from him, Shuuichi was not a good liar, nor could he tell a lie without feeling at least a little remorse. So, when he finally was able to tell Momota and Harukawa the truth of where they disappeared to, he could only feel immense comfort in the trust he shared with them.

Apparently that was becoming apparent in more than just getting along with the other two, he realized as he listened to Kokichi rant about the dietary necessities of teenagers and how pretzels are supposedly the perfect food for him.

“So does that mean it’s safe to assume that airline pretzels and panta are why you’re so short?” Shuuichi asked with a smile of his own.

Kokichi drew in a sharp breath at the question, sitting as tall as he could as he glared at the detective. “Why is my beloved so mean to me!” Cue the sniveling and tears. “A-All I wanted, was, was some good food on this terrible island! And all I g-got was insults!”

The outburst gathered a couple of wandering glances, making Shuuichi panic and attempt to quiet the other in order to get him to stop making so much of a scene. The detective couldn't help but wonder if they would get along like this had they met somewhere other than a deserted island. Sure, Kokichi was interesting enough, but if he were able to, Shuuichi was fairly certain he would've given up and left the guy to himself after one day with him if it was possible.

But while the other boy dropped his pout in favor of a more genuine smile, the detective was glad he had stuck around to meet the other past his first taunt and lie.

Kokichi went back to rambling about this secret organization he claimed to lead, and looked offended when Shuuichi pointed out that he had never heard of anything like that before changing his tone to rant about how that was a good thing because, “First of all, do you even know what secret means? Secondly, that’s because we’re the first and only group like it!”

While he talked, though, the detective couldn't help but notice small things that just seemed off about the boy and his rant. Since they had first arrived on the island, the self-proclaimed supreme leader had spoken with a voice and through gestures bigger than Shuuichi had expected anyone so small to carry. Now, though, the boy was quieter, movements seemingly muted, and something in his gaze lacking its usual mirth.

It wasn't until the other boy mentioned the warehouse offhandedly that the pieces fell into place for the detective.

“Ouma, did you just say that you and Gonta found Iruma and I at when it was dark?”

The other seemed to freeze at the question, but only for a fraction of a second before he recovered with his mischievous laugh. “I just wanted to see if Saihara-chan was actually paying attention! It was a lie, obviously it was light out when we found you, I’m fairly sure I would know something as simple as that.”

Shuuichi hesitated, thinking over his next words carefully and hoping that when he finally spoke them they wouldn't make the other close himself off. “Ouma, please tell me the truth, how much of the other day do you remember?”

“All of it, of course!” Kokichi answered, ruffling the detective’s hair with a grin stretched far too wide for his comfort. “Did my favorite detective forget something and need to ask any questions?”

He was ready to call out Kokichi on what was becoming more and more clearly a lie, but stopped himself quickly. _No. If I call him out then he’ll just deflect again._

“Actually I did have a question.” Kokichi’s expression didn't falter as Shuuichi continued, “I didn't get to find out because I wasn't there when you woke up, but what did you fall from back in the warehouse that made you hit your head so hard?”

Kokichi hesitated at the question, expression shifting slightly, and Shuuichi found himself thankful for his experience in reading peoples’ expressions while working with his uncle, because he had no doubt that this would be a much more difficult conversation without that familiarity.

“I fell from the catwalk, duh. I climbed the ladder up there but it wasn't stable and so it gave way under me,” Kokichi huffed out in a show of annoyance.

Shuuichi had to give the other credit. If he hadn't seen the collapsed pieces of roof himself, then he might’ve believed Kokichi’s lie. “No, that’s wrong, Ouma. You fell through the roof when it collapsed below you.”

Kokichi’s expression quickly changed from overdramatic frustration to genuine irritation with the detective. But Shuuichi was far too focused on his own words to notice the change in the other, instead continuing on voicing his theory. “And on top of that, you’re too resistant to the idea of talking about the day, when it would make much more sense for you to weave dramatic and intricate stories about what happened. Kokichi, you don't remember anything from that day, do you?”

He finally flicked his gaze back to the other, flinching slightly at the expression he was met with. Of all the faces and emotions he had seen on the other, from devious to sobbing to smug, Shuuichi came easily to the conclusion that the blank look he was receiving now was by far the worst.

“You know, it’s almost as if I hit my head and got a concussion or something.”

 _It’s almost like no one’s ever called you out on a more serious lie_ , Shuuichi silently wondered. The thought sent a pang of concern through him, though he wasn't entirely sure why.

“And don't think no one saw you sneak of with those other two last night to tell them all your little secrets, because you weren't exactly subtle. So now, if you’re done with your little interrogation, I’m going to go talk to someone else.” As he bit out the sentence, he brushed past Shuuichi. The latter just stood in his place, staring after the other as he tried to get through the emotional whiplash that the conversation had suddenly put him through.

It was clearly safe to assume that his thought was accurate, but he couldn't help feeling bad over how the other had reacted to the turn in conversation. The detective felt that somewhere along the way, he had missed some cue that the other boy was uncomfortable, and as a result had crossed a line that he failed to even see was there.

Shuuichi decided it would be for the best if he let the other have some space after that outburst, and instead went to look for someone to help around the beach, settling on lending Tojo a hand in taking inventory on what little food and drinks from the plane that they had left. 

The girl must have picked up on the detective’s mood, letting him join her without any questioning. Shuuichi couldn't help feeling slightly frustrated at her perceptiveness, wishing between her cautious glances at him that she could just explain his own frustrations and worries to them because apparently she seemed to understand them far better than he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eventually i will actually respond to comments more than every few chapters, but until then thank you all for the comments and kudos, even if i don’t answer they still mean a lot


	9. Chapter 9

For probably the fifth time in the past hour, Shuuichi managed to trip over yet another tangle of plants that spread across the floor of the island jungle. Ahead of him, Iruma snorted in laughter for what was also probably the fifth time in the past hour, making what would be the fifth or so joke about the detective clearly not having any experience in bondage given how easily he tripped over knots on the ground.

The first few times she had voiced her thoughts, Shuuichi hadn't been able to fight the urge to lower his cap and try to focus more on where he was stepping, looking at the ground as an excuse to avoid letting the blonde see how red the comments were making him. But as he managed to trip for what he could now safely assume was the sixth time, the girl repeating her treatment from before, he found that the words weren't getting to him as much.

He wasn't quite sure if that was a good or bad sign.

By the time they finally reached their destination, the boy’s feet were starting to seek revenge for making them do so much already in the day after spending the past few days walking farther than he was pretty sure he had ever made a habit of walking back home. And on top of that, making them run from an actual polar bear, which he was more than pretty sure he had never made a habit of back home.

Ignoring that soreness, he followed the girl into the same abandoned warehouse that they had discovered recently.

“Alright, here’s the plan, so stop thinking about whatever pervy things are going through your teenage boy brain, and help me find a way to get to those dishes on the roof _without_ it collapsing under us.”

Shuuichi wanted to argue that he was fairly certain nothing he could ever think of would be able to come anywhere near Iruma’s levels of inappropriate, but he kept the thought to himself to avoid whatever response she would inevitably come up with at that.

Instead, he opted to point out the ladder on one side of the decrepit building, finding it safe to assume that he had figured out how Kokichi had managed to get to the roof on his own. Between the two of them, they were able to climb it with ease, taking turns climbing and supporting the ladder so it wouldn't wobble. The most difficult part came before they even climbed when Shuuichi offered to hold the ladder first, which turned into Iruma accusing him of just wanting to look up her skirt until he accidentally made her uncomfortable enough to stop by apologizing profusely.

When they finally got to the catwalk at the top of the ladder, the detective led the way to the opposite end of the walkway. Reaching the end of it, he looked up to see a hole in the ceiling that he could only assume was Kokichi’s way to the roof.

He offered to give Iruma a boost to climb up before realizing that she would probably just accuse him of trying to catch an unwanted look again. But to his surprise, she simply huffed out a breath and agreed, with only minimal threats leaving her.

Once they got onto the roof, they could clearly see the gaping hole in the structure that Kokichi must have fallen through the other day. Shuuichi winced in sympathy pain, there was no way that didn't hurt more than anything that the detective had experienced in his life. Iruma seemed entirely unaffected beyond sparing the scene a short glance before making her way to walk along the edge of the roof where the structure was sturdier. The detective decided it would be best to follow wherever she walked, assuming that her background in engineering meant she knew which parts of the building were least likely to give way below them.

Briefly, Shuuichi wondered what it would be like to seek shelter in the warehouse instead of the clearing Angie had found, but the sound of the building creaking as the two took steps further towards the dishes made it perfectly clear exactly why that was a bad decision.

Just as the detective’s thoughts turned back down the path of the chances of the roof collapsing beneath either him or Iruma before they could even get to the dishes exactly as they had for Kokichi, they slowed to a stop. The blonde didn't hesitate before pulling the transceiver into view, fiddling with the settings frantically, leaving the dark haired boy to wonder if even she knew what she was doing as she alternated between messing with the device and with the receiving dish itself.

When he was beginning to doubt that Iruma’s idea to come to the warehouse in an attempt to use the receivers to get a signal on their transceiver was a good idea in the first place, the static emitting from the device was interrupted. 

The pair jumped in surprise, Iruma letting out a triumphant shout at the break in the constant noise as her tinkering with the transceiver sped up to the point that Shuuichi wasn't able to keep up with what she was doing in the slightest. As she kept up with her quick work, the static began to gradually clear up until finally making way for a distinct voice hidden behind a layer of continuous buzzing.

Despite Shuuichi’s silence, he was shushed by the inventor as they tried their hardest to make out the words coming through the mess of noise. Noticing the repeating cadence and tone, the detective came to the realization that the voice was repeated something on a loop, a slight pause between each recitation. Listening closely, he struggled to make out what was being said, and when he finally caught on to it, he frowned at the dead end he ran right into, whispering in unison with the voice. 

“Fifteen. Five. One hundred and forty four. Twenty five. One hundred and seventy six. Twenty eight. Five million and twelve.” He paused along with the robotic voice at the end of the line, Iruma looking just as frustrated as he was confused before it picked back up again a few seconds later. “Fifteen. Five. One hundred and forty four. Twenty five. One hundred and seventy six. Twenty eight. Five million and thirteen.”

“Great, we went through all of this just to hear some stupid fucking numbers.”

Shuuichi didn't answer to that at first, turning instead to his own train of thought, trying desperately to figure out what the numbers could possibly mean, and why some part of them rang familiar. But as he only drew blanks, he found his confusion slowly turning to match the girl’s annoyance with the transceiver.

“We should head back to the beach. Maybe someone else knows what they mean.” Iruma seemed to agree with the statement, as she rose back to her feet from where she was crouched by the dish. Once she was steadied on the roof, Shuuichi led the way back along the edge of the building towards the catwalk that they had climbed up from. 

Now that he was more careful to avoid giving Iruma the wrong impression when it came to the ladder, they got back to the floor of the warehouse without any difficulties, the detective repeating the number sequence to himself under his breath the entire time in an attempt to commit it to memory. 

He must have been more wrapped up in thoughts of seemingly random numbers than he thought, because the next thing he was truly even aware of was Iruma’s retelling of something she had spent time doing with Kiibo a few days prior. He internally commented on how the inventor had grown so attached to the other boys so quickly, wondering for a short moment if maybe there was more to the two than he had noticed.

“Oh please, I don't need any of that from you of all people, Cuckhara!” Or less internally and more externally, Shuuichi realized with a start, growing flustered by the glare that Iruma was directing at him.

“I’m so sorry! I didn't mean to insinuate anything!” He pleaded with the inventor before her words caught up to him, making him stop abruptly, more confused than he had been when they discovered the number sequence. “Wait what do you mean by me of all people?”

Iruma cocked a brow accusingly at the question, making the detective’s lack of understanding increase sharply, spluttering through a butchered mix of questions and excuses that he wasn't even sure what he was trying to defend himself over.

“Seriously, Pooichi?”

His disgruntled sounds cut off at her suddenly serious expression. Slowly, her face changed, switching from intense to a shit eating grin before she erupted into laughter.

“Holy shit, dude.” By this point, the detective was really just starting to get more annoyed with the inventor than anything else, and was apparently fed up with her antics enough to let out an annoyed groan before walking past her and along the way back to the beach.

Behind him, the girl followed in his steps, still laughing, albeit much more controlled than at first, which Shuuichi still did not appreciate very much. What could possibly be so funny for her to laugh at him like that?

“Okay, okay, I really need to ask you this, then.” Cautiously, the detective slowed his pace until he drew to a stop, looking over his shoulder at the girl with a suspicious look in his eyes. The girl looked like she was struggling to hold back even more mocking laughter at his expression, but she steeled herself before speaking up again. “Do you seriously not have some kind of middle school crush on Cockichi or what?”

Shuuichi continued to stare blankly at her for a few moments, brain trying to figure out exactly what he had just been asked. Finally, color flooded across his face, eyes widening in panic as his mouth opened and shut multiple times as if he kept trying and failing to think of something to say before finally settling on an incoherent sound.

“What?! No! Why would you think that?!” Iruma’s gaze turned back to the questioning look it held when she first steered the conversation in this direction.

“Uh, you do realize that you guys follow each other around like you’re _both_ lost puppies or whatever right? And like I get that we’re all heading towards dehydration and all, but you two are definitely the thirstiest ones here.”

The boy grew impossibly more flustered at her words, and no install reaching for his hat could cover his reaction to everything she had just said. Shuuichi didn't say anything in response, instead electing to just go back to leading the way to the beach, leaving an amused Iruma to follow behind him.

Ignoring her trailing stories that he was pretty sure would make even Angie uncomfortable, he let his thoughts run rampant. _No, there’s no way. What on earth is she even talking about._.

Yeah, sure, Kokichi was admittedly cute sometimes, and his personality and antics reminded the detective of a puzzle he would long to solve, and he thought that the boy’s excitement and energy were contagious. But that didn't mean he liked him or anything. No, there was just no way. Besides, he wasn't even sure if the other boy would even be interested in any guy at all, let alone a socially awkward, quiet detective like him. Impossible.

Besides, hadn't he just managed to piss the smaller boy off just yesterday. Even if he did have any feelings for the other, there was no way that they would be returned after he accidentally pulled a stunt like that. And even if they were, he wouldn't dare risk making the other uncomfortable like that again.

The more he thought about it, the more he realized that Iruma was right about how much time the two had spent together since crashing on the island, but those thoughts were interrupted by his continued guilt over how badly he failed to realize when his nature as a detective made the other upset. _Maybe she does have a bit of a point_ , he realized as he continued walking through the jungle. _Maybe it would be better for Kokichi if I left him alone and gave him some space instead of suffocating him like I have been._

Yes, that was what he was going to do. 

For now, he was just going to spend his time trying to figure out numbers rather than people who very clearly did not want someone treating them like some kind of rubix cube.

* * *

When they finally got back to the beach, Iruma took over in gathering the rest of the group together with a proud shout about figuring out the transceiver, quickly gathering the attention of everyone there. Before he knew it, they were being flooded with questions of what they heard on the device, everything ranging from who they heard to when the rescue boats were going to get there.

“For starters, we could only listen with no way to send out anything. But we did hear something kinda weird.” Iruma stated, quieting the group and turning her gaze to Shuuichi.

“Numbers, “he started. “It was a sequence of numbers that repeated with a pause between each recitation. Fifteen, five, one hundred and forty four, twenty five, one hundred and seventy six, and twenty eight.”

He didn't voice anything about how something about the numbers rang a bell in his memory, careful of accidentally biasing the rest of the group and leading them to falsely view the numbers the same way. Thankfully for him, though, it wasn't long before Kiibo spoke up, effectively breaking the silence of the group.

“The middle two, one hundred and forty four and twenty five,” he paused for a second when he realized that everyone’s attention was directly on him. “Well this is kind of far fetched but, weren't those our departing and arrival gates for our flight?”

Shuuichi blinked, trying his best to remember the information and finding that he believed Kiibo to be entirely right. He looked around the group, finding a mix of concentrated faces and those of others who had come to the same conclusion he had.

“Kiibo, I think you’re right, actually.” But what could the appearance of the numbers in the sequence possibly even mean? It could be anything from pure coincidence to distinct intention, safari as any of them knew.

“Maybe it’s from the rescue teams,” Momota spoke up. “It could be picking up them communicating with each other. The other numbers could be some kind of code to help them search as efficiently as they can!”

At first, the group seemed eager to agree with the possibility, until Kokichi interrupted the excitement. “Now I’m no expert on operating rescue missions, but I’m pretty sure that if I was, and I was communicating literally all of my information with a numerical code, then the numbers would change at least once, not continually repeat the same exact six numbers in the same exact order without stopping.”

That seemed to put a damper on the mood, but Shuuichi found himself silently agreeing with his point. After all, if it were some kind of code like Momota had theorized, then at least something would change over time.

Except one thing did change over time about the sequence. “There was one more thing, too. At the end of each sequence there was a seventh number, except it went up one every time the sequence was repeated. When we first heard the number, it was at five million and twelve.”

Shuuichi fell back into silence, thoughts focusing on the number as he tried his best to think through some mental math, but it didn't take long for him to freeze up at his realization. If each recitation was about twenty seconds long, and the seventh number had reached the millions then— _No. No that can’t be right._

“Three years.”

He wasn't sure who said it, too absorbed in his own thoughts of, _more than one thousand days_ , to even pay attention to the rest of the group as they were led to the same conclusion he had reached.

_Whatever that number sequence was, it had been reciting their exact arrival and departure gates for over three years before they even took off form the airport. Hell, it was reciting those exact digits since years before Shuuichi even knew he was going to be on that flight._

As the group broke into different levels of discomfort at the realization of just how long those numbers had been repeating for, some even outright denying the math and doing it for themselves only to grow more upset when they came to the same end result, the detective was pulled from his thoughts by a tug on his arm.

Jumping slightly at the unexpected movement, he looked over to see Kokichi looking up to him with an expression that Shuuichi couldn't quite pin down. His first instinct was to try and figure out what it could mean, but the impulse was stopped by his memory of what Iruma had said earlier, and even further to the conclusion he had led himself to.

He almost gave up on his aim to distance himself from the other in order to prevent himself from causing trouble and discomfort for the other.

But the keyword there was almost, and instead of asking Kokichi what he thought about the numbers, he broke away from the other’s piercing gaze and mumbled something about needing to talk to Momota and Harukawa before attempting to pull free of the small boy’s grip.

Kokichi made a surprised sound at the action before he could reign his reaction back into place, instead pouting up at the detective with fake tears in his eyes. But the expression didn't work the way he wanted for it to, as instead Shuuichi found himself thinking back to the closed off way the other had acted the way before in a drastic comparison between when the liar was genuinely and falsely upset bus something.

The train of that solidified his decision for him, and the dark haired boy decided that he never wanted to make the other genuinely upset through his own recklessness again, and that there was really only one way to do that. 

With his free hand, Shuuichi pried Kokichi’s grip off of his arm and turned away without another word, making his way toward the two he had mentioned as a lazy excuse to get away just before. _Yes, this is the way to handle this. He’ll get bored, he’ll leave you alone, and you wont have to worry about accidentally upsetting him again._

“Hey, Shuuihci!” Momota said warmly, despite looking so run down over the grim news that came with the reveal of the numbers. Beside him, Harukawa said a quiet greeting of her own. As they began to delve into varying theories of the true origin of the numbers, Shuuichi kept having to stop himself from wondering what Kokichi would think of their predictions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shuuichi u dumbass,,
> 
> and to anyone familiar with LOST: dont worry the numbers arent abt any stupid "guardians" plot twist lol
> 
> in other news, sorry for the sudden absence, school has kinda owned my ass lately, but here i am several tests, quizzes, group projects, and essays later with some new updates and an actual solid outline for the plot of this fic!!


	10. Chapter 10

Shuuichi listened carefully to Iruma’s plans, trying his best to make sense of the technical terms scattered around her idea and nodding along when she would pause between sentences. Even though he wasn't entirely sure what half of what she was saying even meant, he did understand perfectly well that constructing a boat out of scrap materials scattered around the warehouse was a good idea. And as far as he could gather, she was also making it sound as if her and Angie’s project too create a more permanent and secure living space in the pine forest was nearing completion rather quickly.

Once she finally finished pitching the idea to Shuuichi, he voices his agreement that the plan would be extremely beneficial to the group of survivors. But in the end, they decide that it would be best to keep the plan private, as to not raise suspicion over the presence of the abandoned warehouse on the other side of the island.

“Then it would be best to construct it on that side of the island, plus that way we don't have to worry as much about transporting materials and can just make it at the shore nearest to the warehouse itself,” he pointed out.

“Yeah, and we can get Gonta to help out since he already knows about the warehouse and can handle heavy lifting with no problem,” Iruma agreed. “Who else do you think would be best to help?”

The detective was a little surprised that _she_ was the one asking _him_ that question, but he took the time to think out an answer anyways, deciding to just fill in the roll she was laying out for him. “Harukawa and Momota would probably be the most helpful with it, and they kind of also know about the warehouse, actually. And maybe Kiibo and Amami, too, but it really depends on how many people you’re going to need to help you.”

Iruma seemed to take the answer more seriously than he would've expected her to, looking deep in thought before she nodded and walked off briskly, presumably to find some of the people that they had mentioned in the exchange to recruit onto the project.

But once she had left, one of those very people came up to him on her own, frightening Shuuichi more than he’d care to admit when she suddenly showed up right behind him and asked for help with something.

The detective whirled around to face Harukawa, kicking up a fairly large amount of white sand in the process. 

“Of course, what did you need?” He asked once his heart rate had calmed back down from the unexpected appearance.

The girl looked as if she were trying to be extra careful over her next words before finally blurting out her reason for approaching him in the first place. “Remember back when everyone got their luggage back? And we mentioned how mine was farther up in the plane? I was wondering if you could tell me where you and those other two found that cockpit back when we first got here so that I could go retrieve my belongings.”

“For sure! Actually, though, it’d be easier if I could just show you how to get there? It’s not really like I can just tell you to turn left at the tenth tree or something,” Shuuichi trailed off awkwardly at the end.

Harukawa looked reluctant at the suggestion, gaze shifting to a cold expression that the detective had yet to see from the girl, leaving him to flinch back at the sudden shift in her personality. But when he didn't say anything else, she seemed to bring herself back from whatever was happening to make her act so differently out of nowhere.

“Alright.” Harukawa turned away from him and lead the way to the edge of the jungle, leaving behind confused Shuuichi that struggled for a moment to regather himself before catching up to her and taking the first steps into the jungle ahead of her, heading along a familiar path. At first, the silence was stifling, the detective struggling to find any sense of comfort in the journey that the two were making. But as they continued on, the two grew to relax in each others’ presence as Shuuichi led the way through the entertaining trees of green.

Eventually, they reached the break in the trees that the boy recognized as being where he first figured out the location of the cockpit, and he turned downhill until they reached the broken plane.

Without any desire to, his thoughts raced back to metal creaking and sharp, vertical drops, and he found himself stopping a good distance away from the broken plane, trying his best to block out the memory of metal scraping over itself so loudly that he couldn't even think. He screwed his eyes shut to avoid looking at the fowl reminder of what had happened, but instead saw pouring rain and decomposing bodies.

He was shaken abruptly from the painful memory by a hand on his shoulder, making him flinch away from it as he turned to look back at a concerned Harukawa, now with a bag slung over one shoulder.

Shuuichi just nodded and followed after her numbly, some part of him noticing that he was shaking, most of him not able to particularly care at the moment.

By the time he finally became fully aware of his surroundings, as well as the girl in front of him, again, they were almost back to the beach. Figuring that he’d might as well as now instead of when they got back to the entire crowd of survivors given the private nature of the girl walking in front of him, Shuuichi spoke up from behind her.

“So what was in your bag?”

“Just some extra clothes and chargers.”

He frowned at this, slightly disappointed that it hadn't been anything interesting. _That must have been why she was so comfortable with waiting to get her stuff back, then, if it wasn't anything that could be super helpful to the group as a whole,_ Shuuichi figured.

When they got back to the beach, Harukawa was practically dragged away by an excited Momota, and Shuuichi couldn't help wondering what it would be like to be that close to someone in the group.

Before he could spend too long dwelling on the subject, though, Akamatsu made her way over to him, Amami close behind.

“Hey, Saihara, would you be alright with lending us a hand? We wanted to try and explore more of the island, seeing as it seems that we’re going to be stuck here for the foreseeable future and given the discovery of a polar bear, it would probably be best to try and get as familiar with the island as we can, and we think that, well, the more the merrier and all.”

Shuuichi didn't have to think long about the offer to agree that it was a good idea, and it took even less time to agree to go with the two on the quest through the jungle.

“Perfect!” Akamatsu exclaimed. “Then we’ll leave around noon, that way you can have a bit of a break since you just got back from going with Harukawa.”

* * *

It wasn't until the trio was about to head out, Shuuichi electing to bring along the notebooks and pens in his possession so that they could create a rough map of the island, that Kokichi invited himself along, effectively making it very difficult for the detective to try and distance himself from the smaller boy. Especially when, a while into their journey around the island, Akamatsu had suggested splitting up into pairs so that they could cover more of the island in less time.

Kokichi had volunteered to take Shuuichi to the east side of the island, ensuring that the other group wouldn't stumble across the chasm, and possibly even the warehouse. Entirely unaware of the purple haired boy’s ulterior motive, the other two had agreed to the plan, and with a short farewell, wish of good luck, and an exchange of spare sheets of paper and pens, the group had split up.

Now, the detective was walking along with the liar, trying his best to figure out exactly how drawing a map even works while still doing his best to avoid engaging with the smaller boy. That is, until Kokichi came to a stop on their trail, Shuuichi only realizing and slowing to a stop himself after a few steps. Confused, he turned around to face the other boy, wondering what was wrong, only to be met with that neutral expression he had been trying so hard to avoid.

“You know, it would be helpful if you would at least tell me what I did wrong.” Of everything Shuuichi had expected to hear from the other boy, that wasn't what he was prepared for.

“What do you mean, Ouma?”

“Don’t play dumb, Saihara, you know exactly what I mean.”

Shuuichi flinched at the sudden change in his sharp tone. He hesitated before answering, unsure of what excuse could possibly get him out of this situation fastest. But when he locked gazes with those violet eyes, the words died in his throat.

“I crossed a line into your personal life, Ouma. I made you uncomfortable by doing that and it upset you. I just, don't want to do that again,” the words came out quiet, and when Kokichi didn't react, he wasn't even sure that the other boy had heard him.

Something shifted in his expression then, and the detective feared for the worst when suddenly the boy simply started giggling quietly, gradually shifting louder. “Thats—“ he paused for a breath that threatened to spill back into laughter, “Holy shit, Saihara-chan. That’s it? That’s all you’re upset about?”

The detective felt himself tense, attempting to defend himself but failing miserably, as all of his explanations were drowned out by Kokichi’s laughter that he was now realizing was coming from relief rather than anything insulting or mocking.

“Alright, well if that’s all, then I forgive you, my beloved detective! Although, I gotta say, for someone whose job revolves around investigating, you seem to be really bad at understanding the clues people give you sometimes.”

“Well you don't exactly give away the most obvious hints most of the time, Ouma,” Shuuichi said, feeling himself relax for the first time since he started worrying himself. Maybe he really did underestimate how well he and the other boy could get along. Of course, that type of thought only led to him thinking about what Iruma had said to him when they were walking back from the warehouse, and he quickly forced himself to move his attention back to the map he was trying to make instead. 

But even with the supposed forgiveness, Kokichi still seemed to avoid letting Shuuichi catch his gaze, making the detective feel increasingly uncomfortable. A small part of him wondered if this was how he made everyone else feel when he tugged his hat down, shut out and disconnected. Guilt washed over him as he realized how rare it was for him to ever make any eye contact, let alone for more than a few seconds at a time.

Whatever it was that he had one to upset the other, he hadn't managed to actually apologize for, that he knew. Desperately, he tried to recall the failed conversation he had with the other, hoping to remember what exactly he had said to scare him off.

“You know, I can hear you thinking, even from down here,” Kokichi broke into his thoughts, interrupting them. For once, though, Shuuichi was grateful to be making eye contact with someone.

“I’m sorry if I made you feel bad for not remembering anything. It wasn't right for me to be upset over you losing your memory and trying to keep it a secret, especially when the whole reason was because you were just trying to avoid making a big deal out of it. Which I ended up making you do, anyways,” Shuuichi tried.

Kokichi looked thoughtful for a moment, as if he were genuinely considering the attempt at a genuine apology, before straightening up with a wide grin across his face, betrayed only by his cold gaze and the words that left him. “You’re getting warmer detective, but no dice!”

Despite his words, Kokichi was back to his semi-usual self, Shuuichi struggling to keep up once more. And while it definitely made the process of exploring the island take much longer thanks to the addition of misdirection and false information being given to the detective as he tried his best to familiarize himself with the land, the new distraction was far more welcome than the uncomfortable silence. Absently, though, Shuuichi wondered whether the rejection of his words or the act of familiarity was the lie.

He hoped it was the rejection that was false, but couldn't help the feeling that the liar’s words were the actual truth this time.

Only when the sun was beginning to sink to the horizon did they turn back toward the beach, back to making conversation along the way. When they reached the shore, the pair bought out Angie, showing her the rough map that they had sketched and asking her if she would be able to clean it up and make it more helpful than the mess of scribbles they currently had.

She agreed easily, but Shuuichi couldn't help but wonder how long that would mean she would take to finish the map before giving a short update on the status of the pine clearing that she had found, explaining that her part of the work was done, and that it would be up to Miu from then on out to finish putting together a stable place to seek shelter for the group. 

When she was finished, they told her that Akamatsu and Amami would return soon with their own reference of the west half of the island before turning leaving the artist some space.

The two ended up waiting along the edge of the trees, hoping to catch the other two as soon as they showed back up to the beach. As they sat there, they exchanged guesses about the number sequence that they had discovered, but no matter how many theories they came up with, each and every one was shot down until only the knowledge of their departure and arrival gates were able to hold any standing significance. 

They had exchanged theories for so long that they failed to notice how tired they grew, even as the guesses became less realistic and reached farther than either would like to admit. Finally, after a few minutes of silence between the two, Shuuichi spoke up.

“I told Momota and Harukawa about what happened at the warehouse without asking you,” he paused. “After we agreed not to tell anyone.”

When no dramatic shift came from the boy sitting next to him, Shuuichi turned his gaze to him, half expecting to find the other asleep, or at least faking it. Instead, he saw Kokichi fiddling the with fraying edges of his scarf quietly. His mouth moved as if to say something, but if he did then it was too quiet for the detective to catch.

“Yeah.” he finally said after more silence, eyes still trained on his scarf.

“I hope I haven't worn it out with how much I’ve said it today, but,” Shuuichi trailed off, still watching the other. “Ouma, please look at me so you know I’m telling the truth here,” he muttered quietly.

The other didn't react in the slightest.

“Ouma, please.”

…

“Kokichi,” the other finally let go of the scarf, turning his eyes back to Shuuichi.

 _Finally_ , he thought to himself, letting go of a breath he hadn't even realized he was holding. “I broke your trust, and for that I’m sorry, Kokichi.”

The smaller boy seemed to flush at this, for reasons completely unknown to the detective. Rather than respond, the other let himself lean against Shuuichi’s side, making him grow flustered at the action until he finally broke the silence again. “I forgive you, Shuuichi, and that’s not a lie.”

Shuuichi didn't even remember falling asleep, but the next thing he knew, he was blinking his eyes open to take in the gentle glow of the sky before dawn. That calm that the sky provided was wiped clean away by the sharp pain stretching up his spine as he realized that he had dozed off still sitting against the rough bark of a tree.

He let his eyes slide back shut in annoyance over how he had managed to fall asleep in such an uncomfortable position. At that moment, though, he remembered what it was he was doing there in the first place, and he tried to shift himself forward to stand, only to be stopped by a weight pressing against his side.

The detective looked down to see a ball of curled up white fabric and purple hair laying against him. Any thoughts of going to find Akamatsu and Amami left his mind as he took in the sight of the sleeping boy next to him.

Without realizing what he was even doing, Shuuichi reached a gentle hand to brush away that stray lock of hair that rested down the center of his face, carefully tucking it out of the way. Kokichi stirred at the motion, and the detective froze in panic as his mind finally caught up to the rest of him, making him panic that he had woken the other boy up.

But his expression did not shift, staying relaxed beyond anything Shuuichi had seen from him before. It was neutral, but it wasn't like the unsettling face that the taller boy had been met with more times than before, nor did it resemble the mischievous grin that he usually wore. Slowly, Kokichi began to stir, making him look away suddenly, desperately wanting to avoid being caught staring and changing his attention to the beach in front of them, scanning the group for signs of the two that they had stayed up waiting for.

A loud yawn that Shuuichi was fairly certain was just for show came from beside him, and he turned back to the other boy to find him looking at the detective with a peculiar look in his eyes that shifted back into his usual taunting glint, mouth turning into a sharp grin.

“Wow, Shuuichi, I didn't take you for the type to take advantage of someone while they sleep!”

The detective quickly grew flustered at the accusation, and part of him bitterly remarked how many times the other had riled him up like that, but he was too busy panicking that somehow the smaller boy knew that he had woken up earlier. The other broke into his signature laugh at his reaction, leaving Shuuichi to huff out in frustration. 

Once the moment had passed, the detective returned his gaze back to the beach, but couldn't fight the growing feeling of unease as he still failed to find any hint of the other two that they had gone into the jungle with yesterday. 

“Hey, you didn't happen to see Akamatsu and Amami come back last night before you fell asleep, did you?”

Kokichi seemed to catch on to Shuuichi’s more serious attitude rather quickly, brows knitting in confusion as he turned to scan the sand just as Shuuichi had been doing. “No, I didn’t.”

The other seemed to come to a decision rather quickly, standing up and stretching from where he sat against the detective, Shuuichi realizing belatedly that the other hadn't shifted away when he woke up, opting to stay pressed against him. Not sure what exactly to make of the action, or rather lack thereof, the taller boy figured that he would be better off not thinking to far into it, and rose to his feet, letting out a relieved groan as his back cracked from being stretched after the terrible position he had slept in.

* * *

The mild unease quickly grew into intense worry as neither of the two could find any hint of the missing members of the group. Among their search, Kokichi had suggested asking Angie if either of them had come to her like they said they would, but the artist said that she had not seen them at all since they first left into the woods the day before. 

She must have noticed the two’s growing concerns, or rather Shuuichi’s growing concerns and Kokichi’s mild curiosity, because she gave a lazy attempt to reassure them, explaining that Atua told her that the others were probably alright, and reminding them of how their small group had disappeared for an entire day before. Despite her emphasizing that the group had all been alright once they returned, the detective’s thoughts raced with polar bears and concussions, and the artist’s offhanded attempt to calm him down only served to make him grow more anxious.

When they finally found it clear that the other two had never returned from their journey to map the island, it didn't take long for Shuuichi and Kokichi to decide that the best course of action would be to search for the lost pair.

And that was how they found themselves walking through the dense jungle once again, now joined by Harukawa and Momota as they walked in the direction of where the original group had split into two pairs. The detective led the way, Harukawa walking silently beside him, bag slung over her shoulder once more.

Shuuichi blamed it on his nature as a detective as he found himself trying to figure out what could possibly be in that bag that was so crucial as to make the girl bring it with them, while still working to keep whatever was inside concealed from the rest of them. But his focus was constantly interrupted by the sounds of arguing behind him coming from Momota and Kokichi.

Every now and then, the banter behind them would pause, and every time, the dark haired boy would glance behind him to see both boys looking at him expectantly, each expecting the detective to back them up in whatever they were debating. And every time, Shuuichi would roll his eyes and turn his attention back forwards, suddenly envious of Harukawa’s apparent ability to ignore the loud conversation being held just a few feet behind them.

When they reached the point at which the group had split up, he was sure to tell Harukawa, and the girl didn't take long before heading off in a seemingly random direction through the trees, claiming to know the direction that the two had gone in. For what was far from the first time, the detective found himself wondering exactly who Harukawa was before the plane crashed.

The two behind them must not have noticed the change in direction, seeing as they continued on arguing behind them as they walked.

After walking a great distance together, seeing parts of the jungle that the entire group had yet to grow familiar with, Shuuichi caught a glimpse of white in the distance. He made his way past the girl, who looked surprised at first, but must have seen where he was looking seeing as she quickly made to follow behind him closely.

The two behind them must have noticed the change ahead, bantering immediately ceasing as they followed the detective’s lead, watching as he crouched down to pick a pice of paper up from the muddy jungle floor.

Without another word from anyone, the group quickly made their way froward, following a scattered trail of torn sheets of notebook paper and even picking up two discarded pens that had fallen to the ground. It became painfully clear that whatever it was that had happened to the missing two survivors, it had not gone over peacefully. 

They continued onward like that for a few minutes, practically running as they followed the path of dropped belongings, some papers showing black ink hidden behind the mud that coated parts of the sheets. Finally, though, they came to an abrupt stop, staring in a mix of awe and fear at the sight before them. There, among torn tree limbs and broken trunks, sat a giant heap of metal.

Cautiously, Harukawa took the first step forward, watching the glinting mass of gray carefully as she made her towards it, one hand reaching back to the zipper of her bag and slowly pulling it as she approached. When she was finally within reach, she slowly reached out toward the metal with her free hand, other hand moving to now reach inside her bag slowly. Just as her fingers gently brushed against the heap, the sound of wood snapping sent the group turning its attention to the side of the clearing made of broken trees.

In one smooth motion, Harukawa’s hand was pulled from her back, and with it came something that Shuuichi was entirely uncertain how she managed to get on a plane in the first place. The source of the sound froze at the same time that the detective did, taking in the sight of a sleek crossbow aimed in the direction that the sound had come from.

They stood like that for what felt like hours before a far more familiar sound came from the same spot.

“Wait!” A voice cracked out, making Harukawa slowly lower her weapon. Once it was pointed to the ground, they could being to make out the shape of a person as they walked from the mess of green that the jungle provided. But their steps were unsteady, legs shaking and body sagging under its own weight as they made their way from the cover of the greenery.

All of the color drained from Shuuichi’s face when he recognized them, their face drained of all expression other than pure emptiness, arm twisted at an angle that made the detective wince in pain of his own. _No, there’s no way that anyone could get so hurt so quickly. Especially when the group was just starting to come together. There was no way that the girl standing, looking completely and utterly broken in front of them could ever have been—_

“Akamatsu!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i literally cannot say this enough, but thank you again for comments/kudos/bookmarks/subscriptions/etc!! posting this from the first chapter, i expected maybe like two kudos and nothing else, but you all have been nothing short of wonderful towards me and this fic!! (this sounds like something i should say at the end or smthn but i promise there is still much more to come from this story :D)
> 
> update schedule-wise: i want to start posting every other day so you guys can expect that from now on unless something happens and for whatever reason i cannot update


	11. Chapter 11

The group didn't need a detective to decide that Akamatsu needed to be taken back to the beach immediately. Almost immediately upon her unexpected arrival, the girl had collapsed, Momota rushing forward to catch her before she hit the ground. 

Momota lifted the girl up when he caught her, quickly catching onto the fact that she wasn't going to be able to do any walking on the way back to the beach. When he initially swayed, Harukawa reached out to him him steady the weight he was carrying before she turned to the other two in the group. But Kokichi’s attention was elsewhere, turned around and poking and prodding at the heap of metal the looked as if it were towering above the smallest member of the group.

Shuuichi turned his attention to him, confused as to what the other was even trying to accomplish.

“Ouma, we need to get Akamatsu back to the beach as soon as possible,” Harukawa said sharply.

The small boy finally turned around at the words, eyes narrowing when they locked with the girls’. “Then take her back. But someone needs to stay and figure out what _this_ ,” he said with a gesture to the metal behind him, “even is.”

“You’re joking, right?” Momota accused, “Whatever it is probably had something to do with what happened to Kaede, and who knows what it even did to Amami! We need to wait and look closer when we have more people here, there’s no way anyone should-“

“And what if it’s gone? What if we get back and something that could prove to be entirely useful for us is gone?” Kokichi interrupted.

Momota looked ready to continue arguing, but that was when Shuuichi had decided that the debate had gone on long enough. “Kokichi has a good point.”

Only when Momota looked surprised at the statement did the detective realize he had continued using the others’ first name since the night before. Harukawa, on the other hand, looked slightly annoyed, but Shuuichi figured that her frustrations came from point being argued rather than the lack of formalities. 

“It would be best not to divide, the group, but I suppose I must agree with Ouma’s concerns. But with threats like polar bears here on the island, there is clear safety in numbers.”

Kokichi leapt back into arguing with Harukawa at her statement, claiming to be capable of handling himself and growing impossibly more irritated as the girl reminded him of wha happened the last time that the small boy had wandered off alone.

“I’ll stay with him,” Shuuichi said, making the rest of the group fall quiet, each looking at him in confusion, with the exception of the unconscious girl in Momota’s grip. “That way he won’t be alone, and you two can take Akamatsu back to the beach.”

The other boys looked as if they were now both ready to argue with Shuuichi, but Harukawa looked to be deep in thought before nodding her agreement to the plan. “This argument is getting us nowhere. Kokichi will not back down from his idea no matter what we say, so this is the best option.” She said, addressing Momota who seemed to relax at her words, finally admitting to himself that she was right.

“Okay, fine. But Shuuichi, you’d better come back in one piece, I need my sidekick to be alright if we’re ever going to get off this island.”

The detective calmed down at the request, smiling and agreeing to the other. With that, they parted ways, leaving Shuuichi and Kokichi behind in the torn section of jungle with whatever that hump of metal even was.

Wordlessly, the other went back to poking and prodding at it, Shuuichi opting to take the time to get a closer look at the damaged plant growth around them. In fact, as he looked closely, he could see that not only the plants were torn up, but the ground itself, dirt and mud scraped around. Whatever had been the cause of this was, without a shadow of a doubt, big and heavy. And if the detective were to be entirely honest with himself, he was beginning to believe that the culprit behind the destruction was laying in a heap in the middle of the mess.

The sudden sound of metal scraping drew his attention away from his investigation, sound ringing impossibly loud, and easily recognizable as the same sound that had only meant danger was on its way ever since the time that it had pursued them when they first found the plane’s cockpit.

But when he whirled around, expecting to find an equally panicked Kokichi, he found the other backing up slowly from the mass of gray.

A mass of gray that was moving. The metal seemed to grow taller, and Shuuichi realized with a start that it was far from a pile of scraps. By the time the scraping stopped, it was replaced by a nearly silent whirring sound of machinery.

Shuuichi slowly made his way over to a frozen Kokichi, standing beside him and taking in the sight. What was once a pile of metal on the torn jungle floor was now nothing short of a gigantic robot towering above them, making Shuuichi feel as if he had left the island in favor of being dropped into some rejected science fiction movie.

The machine stood facing them, looking almost humanoid in design, standing upright on two legs and with a pair of large arm-like sections coming from its main body. As the remaining dirt came loose from it, falling to the ground as the machine moved in place, blue accents were revealed to the pair of boys.

_Well I guess Kokichi was right to worry that it would be gone when we came back._

Almost as if merely thinking about the boy was enough to get him out of his initial reaction to the robot in front of them, Kokichi began to take a few slow steps to the side, watching carefully as the machine in front of them reacted by twisting its body to follow the movement.

“Hey Shuuichi, if you wanted to show that I can trust you again, I think I know a way you can do that,” he spoke loud and clear, watching as the robot seemed to move in reaction to the statement.

Only then did the detective realize what Kokichi was trying to do, and made a mental note to try and keep up with the smaller of the two’s experiments on the machine, committing to memory that whatever it was could hear and see them, and if he were to judge by the movement it had made to watch as Kokichi moved about was anything to go by, then it could only see what was in front of it.

Without another word, Kokichi returned back to his movement from before, carefully walking in the direction around the machine opposite to Shuuichi. The detective meanwhile just watched, trying to figure out exactly what it was that the other wanted from him. Whatever it was, it had to do with the machine, and upon confirming that the thing could hear them, he silenced himself, making it obvious that whatever he wanted to do, the robot wouldn't like it.

He found himself briefly wondering if the thing had some kind of blindspot when the reason behind Kokichi’s actions clicked. By now, the two were standing a fair distance from each other, and the robot was beginning to reach its limit as to where it could turn solely its main body.

When Kokichi was nearly to the opposite side of the robot, it turned back to Shuuichi and paused, as if studying the immobile by carefully before lifting one of its massive metal legs and turning around to fully face Kokichi once again. The detective took a step forward, careful not to make a single sound as he approached the machine, still distracted by Kokichi.

It didn't take long at all for him to reach the back of the robot, narrowly avoiding getting smacked by what seemed like a swaying power chord, complete with a frayed end and sparks occasionally shooting out of it. 

He took in the back of the robot, staring at the mess of cables and chords that connected into various ports and crevices along it. Still moving to avoid being hit, and subsequently given away, by the thrashing cable that protruded from the back of the robot, he came up with an idea. All he’d have to do was figure out which cable connected the robots power or movement and tale care of it. The only problem was that it couldn't be much less clear what chord that was among the mass of them.

But then the machine took a step forward towards Kokichi, and Shuuichi was reminded of the state that they had found Akamatsu in. There was no doubt in his mind, now. At some point when they were exploring the island, Akamatsu and Amami had been attacked by this robot, and somehow in the mess Amami was entirely lost and Akamatsu was severely harmed.

He couldn't let that happen to anyone else on the island, including Kokichi, even if he still didn't know what chord he would have to sever. 

The robot continued moving forward, and in a moment of panic, Shuuichi forgot everything he had been keeping in mind before about not alarming the machinery, and reached for a torn tree branch laying across the floor. The robot began to turn at the movement, alerted by the loud sound of the detective lifting the chunk of wood, but before it could turn back around to face him, the boy let the weight of the wood carry him forward, jamming it into the back of the robot.

Electricity flew from the point of contact, making the detective release the wood and jump backwards, this time not managing to dodge the tail-like cable as it flailed about wildly, the impact sending him to the ground.

As he watched, the whirring returned, along with the scraping from before as the robot shifted about in ways that it was not designed to. Almost as suddenly as it had started, the robot froze in place, sounds ceasing immediately and light flickering before fading back out, leaving the robot frozen and lifeless between the two boys.

“Holy shit. You killed the robot,” was how Kokichi broke the silence surrounding them.

Shuuichi just nodded dumbly at the statement, still trying to process the fact that he actually had done exactly that. 

“I think,” he started, voice quieting quickly over the course of two words before he started over. “I think we should go back to the beach now.”

* * *

As soon as they got back to the beach, they were swamped with questions, reminding Shuuichi of how it had been when he first showed back up with Kokichi and Kiibo after everything that happened when they found the cockpit. For the most part, the smaller of the two was easily providing answers, Shuuichi only having to chime in to correct Kokichi when he spewed a blatant falsity over what happened, most of which the detective was fairly certain weren't even on purpose.

At the end of the story, Shuuichi was ready to move on to seeing how Akamatsu was doing, but asking about her seemed to be the wrong idea. While the end of the story, the group had grown excited by the unexpected finale, but once he asked about the blonde, the excitement dropped drastically.

“She’s still out cold, but we think she even broke some bones. And now that we know about that mecha, we can probably guess where her injuries came from,” Momota said, sounding more than a little worried over the girl.

Looking around, Shuuichi found that the state of the girl was weighing heavily on the entire group, and he didn't even dare to mention the entirely missing green haired boy at the moment. Tojo was the next to speak up, trying to raise the morale of the group, but her voice was drowned out by worried voices. After her came Kiibo and then Angie, all to be met with the same treatment. 

If only Akamatsu were fine, she would know exactly what to say to get the group back on their feet again. 

_But she’s not. And there’s nothing I can do about that,_ he though to himself, looking across the worried faces of the rest of the survivors. He almost jumped when he felt someone bump into his side, looking to see Kokichi looking at him expectantly.

Shuuichi shot him a questioning look, hoping to convey his confusion without having to voice it. The fact that it earned a groaning Kokichi didn't really clarify whether he was  
understood or not.

The small boy took in a deep breath and the detective felt like he was about to have heart attack in fear of what that could possible mean was coming. Standing as tall as he could, the boy shouted with a voice that Shuuichi wasn't sure how he fit in such a small body, “LOOK! RESCUE BOATS!” The group was immediately plunged into silence as all attention shifted to the waves, the only other sound being a few people yelling, asking where he saw them.

“Oh, I didn’t,” his body language shifted in the blink of an eye, hands thrown to rest behind his head and smug smile filling his features. “I just needed all of you shut up for five seconds! Now we can talk about the stuff that _actually_ matters.”

Well that seemed to keep everyone’s attention, even if it was unified by anger at the false alarm that Kokichi had provided just to get their attention. Shuuichi’s confusion over where the other was going with this only increased, though, when he received that same expectant look from before.  
When it was painfully obvious that the detective had no clue what Kokichi wanted him to do, the purple haired boy rolled his eyes before bumping against his shoulder. “I think it might be time to tell them about the warehouse.” Shuuichi still looked confused, but he could practically see the wheels turning through the other’s gaze, and the detective was suddenly hit with the realization that if he didn't tell what Kokichi wanted him to, then he might never hear what it was that the other was clearly on the verge of spilling in front of everyone.

Shuuichi turned away from the other, looking across the rest of the group and finding a mix of way too many expectant faces for comfort. The last time such a large group had looked to him to hear the truth…

_No. Not now._

“During the time that Gonta, Iruma, Kokichi, and I had been gone for an entire day, we did not spend it hiding from a polar bear. Well, not entirely, anyways,” he paused, taking in the mix of betrayed and hopeful expressions. “We got away from the bear by crossing a fraying rope bridge across a chasm in the island. After that, we found underground tunnels and got separated. I went with Iruma to explore the tunnels, but the only notable thing was some working lighting. Gonta and Kokichi found an abandoned warehouse separately, but Kokichi got there first and got a concussion by falling from the roof.”

The rest of the group, with the exception of those who knew what happened were looking, in Shuuichi’s opinion, justly upset with the fact that they had been lied to by a quarter of the group.

“So why are you informing us of this now?” Kiyo, much to the detective’s surprise, was the one to speak up.

Shuuichi wanted to answer the question, but found that he still had no idea as to why either, instead looking to Kokichi where he still stood beside him. 

“When I got my concussion, there was something weird about it, and now I know why. Buuuut I also know you guys would never believe me about it! So, my beloved detective, do remember what that weird thing was?”

The detective opened his mouth to speak before snapping it back shut, thoughts racing back to days ago when they had found the small boy unconscious and bleeding on the floor of the warehouse.

“Looking at the injury itself, it didn't seem right. You woke up on your back, but you were bleeding from the front of your head. That wouldn't be much a surprise, normally, because it would just mean that some debris hit you. But that’s not what happened. There was no debris on you at all, not a single speck of dust or dirt, and yet you were bleeding from the front of your head.” As he said it aloud, he began to see where exactly Kokichi was going with this change in topic, coming to an understanding of the point he wanted the detective to emphasize.

“It was as if someone or something had lifted you up, turned you over, and put you back down on the ground between you falling through the roof, and Gonta finding you on the floor.”

“Now that’s the kind of work I’d expect from a detective!” Kokichi proclaimed. Around them, the group seemed to be hanging onto every last word carefully, and if he paid close enough attention to them, Shuuichi would tell that Kiibo and Tojo were starting to think the same thing as the dark haired boy.

“But I still have one more question!” The detective looked to him expectantly, previous caution over the shorter’s line of questioning dropped as curiosity over where he would be going with this next overwhelmed his worries of group dissent.

“How would you describe the events that occurred just before the cockpit of the plane broke, way back when we had just gotten to this island?”

Shuuichi understood right away where this question was leading him, and launched into a description of the sound that had come before the damage done to the section of the plane, trying his best to convey the sharp sound of metal scraping that preceded the destruction.

“And just before it happened, it was raining, right? What was visibility like in the rain?”

“Horrible, you couldn't really see anything more than a few feet away,” he answered without hesitation. 

“Last question,” Kokichi started. “How would that experience compare with the mecha that we just found?”

“I think it’s entirely reasonable to believe that-“

Kokichi’s disappointed look stopped him, making Shuuichi clear his throat awkwardly before trying again.

“I think that the mecha could very likely be the culprit behind the damage to the cockpit when we were there. It made the same noise, it would make sense for us not to have been able to see it in the rain, and it just now clearly showed aggression towards us when we found it. But there’s one thing that doesn't make sense about it.”

Kokichi looked thrown by the direction Shuuichi took the end of his claim, waiting with an equal mix of caution and curiosity in his eyes. Around them, the rest of the group was fully focused on Shuuichi’s words, and the detective had to fight the urge to tug down his hat to cover his face with all the effort he had to offer at that moment.

“When we found it, neither Amami not Akamatsu were anywhere near it. If the machine’s goal was to cause harm, then it wouldn't make sense for it to stop chasing them while Akamatsu was still alive and then change location away from wherever it left Amami. In fact, it would make most sense for the mecha to shut off immediately upon completing its goal. The only way I could make sense of it being found so far away from the other two was if they somehow got away, which they obviously didn’t, if Akamatsu’s injuries and Amami’s disappearance are anything to go by.

“Aside from that explanation, the other that I can think of is much less pleasant.” He paused, weighing his next words carefully. “Something else had to have come and forced the blue mecha into submission. But that mecha was, without a doubt, the most dangerous thing we've seen so far on this island, so to think of something capable of that…”

Shuuichi trailed off at the end of his conclusion, not sure where the sudden burst of confidence had even come from. He looked beside him to see an excited Kokichi that stood out from the group of nervous survivors around them.

“Well, then that helps bring me to my final point! And maybe I’ve earned enough credit from helping out to get you all to believe me when I tell the truth!”

Despite Kokichi’s words, the group looked towards him with suspicion, and the detective couldn't help thinking how starting his story with that just made him seem somehow less credible than he already was.

“When we found that mecha in the woods, I couldn't help thinking it looked oddly familiar, and then I remembered something that happened a few days ago,” the boy grinned as he spoke. “Before the roof collapsed and I fell to that t-terrible, painful, concrete f-floor, I heard that same sound, and there was no mistaking it. And then once I fell, well, I may have an answer to all of our little detective’s questions left!

“How did I hit the wrong side of my head? Why was there no debris on me? What could have possibly subdued a giant killer robot? Well the answer is staring all of you idiots right in the face, but you’re just being to naive to see it. The only thing that answers all of those questions is actually quite simple!”

“Just spit it out already, you little abortion!”

Kokichi’s grin grew impossibly wider. “Another robot.”

Shuuichi was ready to argue against the other, but found that the words were lost on his tongue. After all, it actually made perfect sense. Aside from one thing.

“But if the mechas lash out and attack us, then why did that one leave you alive?”

“Easy! This one was red!” Kokichi declared, as if that actually answered anything.

“Kokichi—“

“It’s a different robot, Shuuichi. Given everything else we’ve seen on this island so far, who are we to draw the line at artificial intelligence. Clearly, this other mecha is much nicer than the blue one, when I was injured, it went to inspect if I was still alive or not, and then when the blue one was attacking Akamatsu and Amami, it interrupted. And if you don't believe me, then we’ll just have to ask Akamatsu when she recovers.”Even though the statement was phrased as if it were directed at the detective only, he felt that the entire group was being addressed instead.

As the rest of the group seemed to accept the story, he realized that it had been done on purpose. _Address it to me only to make it seem less like your seeking to trick the entire group and you seem more credible,_ he internally praised the other. 

But even now that they had a theory of what was posing such a big threat to the group, the survivors were looking even more uneasy than ever, clearly intimidated by the idea of being hunted down by robots. At this rate, the group would just split back up again, and there was no way that would benefit anyone there in the slightest.

Shuuichi took a deep breath before he broke into the quiet, anxious chatter of the group. “It’s not all bad news, though! Just because we cant find Amami, it doesn't necessarily mean he’s gone forever. A-Also Iruma said that she can use materials from the warehouse and jungle to make a functioning boat that we can use. And on top of that, she was working with Angie to put together a safer, more structured shelter in the jungle, safe from polar bears and sun.

“Sure, things are exactly looking great right now, but they aren't looking terrible, either. We cant let ourselves be consumed by petty disagreements and miscommunications like we have been. None of us want to be here, that’s obvious, but not wanting to be here doesn't change the fact that we are. If we ever want to leave this place, then we need to work together for once.”

The detective prepared himself for more arguments at the end of his brief, yet way too long for comfort, speech. But instead, he was met with enthusiastic agreements from Momota, joined quickly by Harukawa and Kiibo, and before he even realized what was happening, the entire group seemed to be on the same page, dividing amongst themselves who would be in charge of transporting what necessities to the camp in the pine forest that Angie and Iruma had taken to explaining to everyone.

Next to him, Kokichi let out an excited cheer before grabbing Shuuichi and pulling him down to his eye level, making the taller boy grow flustered at the sudden close proximity between them, but he was shaken from it when the other suddenly moved to pull the detective close and wrap his arms around him and _wait is he… hugging me?_

Before Shuuichi could catch up with what was happening, the other boy released him and stepped back to walk to the rest of the group, practically skipping across the sand.

He stopped after a few paces, turning around to face the detective with a mischievous grin spreading across his face. “Well, mister detective, are you going to actually help the group get its shit together, or are you just going to try and take my position of supreme leader?”

That got Shuuichi moving again, unable to fight back a small smile as the implication of the others’ words hit him. Somehow, he had done it. He had actually managed to get the group onto the same page. And on top of that, the page wasn't even on the beach anymore. Even he began to believe his own words. Maybe everything would actually be able to turn around for the group now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOPS DIDNT MEAN TO POST THIS YET 
> 
> but i’m not taking it down now that it's up lol so have an extra (and long ass) chapter to make up for my week of being dead
> 
> alternative title? i hate dialogue


	12. Chapter 12

Shuuichi had been surprised with how easily the group of survivors had agreed to move inland and away from the beach. Then again, he probably shouldn't be too shocked given that they were motivated by a fear of mechas attacking them. Still, only a handful of others had tried to argue that they should remain where they were, each claiming that it would be best to stay and wait for Amami’s return.

The detective, on the other hand, would beg to differ. And after a few length conversations with Shirogane and Gonta in particular, he was able to convince them that they would be able to make up for it by finding Amami before the missing member of the group could find them first.

For now, though, the group was settling into what Shuuichi could only truly describe as a remarkably well done camp in the pine forest. Sure, going in he knew that Iruma knew what she was doing, and that Angie claimed to be more than capable of preparing the materials with the blonde, but the living space that the group now found themselves residing in felt like some kind of log cabin campground that a rich family would rent so that they could pretend they were actually camping. The only thing missing was expensive furniture, in his opinion. 

Now he was walking along with Kiibo and the inventor as they made their way back through the jungle to where he had found Akamatsu and the blue mech the day before. In front of him, Iruma ranted on about her less than preferable, in Shuuichi’s opinion, ideas of what she could do with the resources that the mech could provide them with. Behind him, Kiibo was practically cowering at the ideas, spluttering out remarks over how unrealistic and useless they were compared to using the machine to help them get off the island.

“So, Kiibo, why did you want to help out with the mech anyway?” Shuuichi asked, trying his best to distract the other boy from Iruma’s ramblings ahead of them.

“Oh, you didn't know?” Iruma spoke before Kiibo could answer.

“Know what?”

“Our boy Kiibo here is a robotics expert, isn't that right?”

Shuuichi stared ahead in confusion, sure he wasn't talking to Kokichi, but was she being serious? Not that he thought the other boy was less intelligent than she was implying, but if he really was the same age as the rest of them, which he really thought, then that was plain impossible.

“I’m just a robotics student,” Kiibo practically shouted, and when Shuuichi gave a confused glance over toward him, he could find that the other was rather flustered by Iruma’s unexpected praise.

“That’s still really impressive, Kiibo.” Shuuichi said with kind smile. “You should be more proud of yourself about that, especially now that we know there are two robots on this island with us.”

Iruma snorted from where she walked in front of them, and when he turned back around to face the blonde, he couldn't figure out what the expression she was directing at him was even supposed to mean.

“You should be proud, too, Iruma,” his words seemed to make the girl almost flinch as the detective kept on. “So far you've already done so much for the group since we crashed here.”

Shuuichi mentally prepared himself for another explicit comment from Iruma, but the girl looked away at this, shaking at the praise before mumbling an awkward, “Thank you.”

“While we’re talking about it,” Kiibo spoke up, “What were _you_ before the crash, Saihara?”

“Oh,” Shuuichi had to admit he wasn't expecting that. “Well I helped my uncle with some detective work back home, but it was all just minor stuff, like finding lost pets and infidelity cases. Not really anything exciting.” He heard himself trail off at the end of the story before perking back up and gesturing ahead. “Looks like it’s still there.”

Kiibo looked like he was about to say something, but was cut off by Iruma’s shout of excitement as she rushed ahead to the broken mecha sprawled across the torn jungle floor. They both turned to watch as she immediately set to looking closely at it, suddenly engrossed in the machine.

“You should be more proud, too, Saihara.” Shuuichi looked over to the boy next to him at the sound of his voice. He must have looked confused by the statement, because instead of finishing what he had to say there and walking to check out the robot with Iruma, he kept on talking.

“If it weren’t for you, we would have never spotted the cockpit way back when we got here. And on top of that, I don't think anyone else would have figured out how to completely immobilize a mech like you, let alone figure out so much about what happened with Ouma’s injury with so little knowledge about it.”

The white haired boy started walking forward with that, leaving a reddening Shuuichi behind him. After a few moments, the detective gathered himself enough to tug at his hat before walking up to the pair that was already starting to experiment with the robot.

Completely unaware of what to do to help them from here, he waited until Iruma finally barked out that he should, “Stop standing around like a blushing virgin and help me separate the chords unless you're too afraid that working with the ropes of cables will make you cream in your pants.”

The group continued on working with the robot, Shuuichi just doing what he was told, without being entirely unsure of what he was even doing at all. After a while of working in relative silence, Kiibo spoke back up again.

“You should give yourself more credit for getting the group together, too, you know?”

The detective looked to the other boy questioningly from where he sat holding an assortment of mechanics pulled from the mech. 

“The virgin’s got a point, virgin. That group worked together about as well as a group of twinks trying to find a top until you made them get their shit together last night.”

He wasn't exactly sure how we was supposed to respond to that… compliment? So the detective just sat there stunned until Kiibo cleared his throat.

“While I wouldn't have said it like that,” he said, giving Iruma an exasperated look, “I agree completely. The group really needed someone to finally step up and become a leader, and I’m glad it was someone so kind yet decisive as you, Saihara.”

Shuuichi wasn't used to so much praise in such a short time, and his response came out more as a garbled noise than an actual expression of gratitude. But his point must have gotten through to them, anyways, because before he knew it, Iruma was making some comment about praise kinks and the conversation was back to discussing the mech in front of them. 

Shuuichi wasn't sure what he did that made them think he was some kind of leader, in all honesty, but at this point he figured it might be better to stop questioning it and move onto accepting it.

* * *

After they were done with the mecha, the group had gone back to the pine forest and Shuuichi was invited out by Momota and Harukawa to join them in searching for clues of where Amami could be. So far, though, they hadn't managed to find a single hint, and it had been, to Shuuichi’s knowledge, several hours since they began their search.

It just didn't make sense, though. It was as if he vanished into thin air, no traces of the mech causing any damage on the island beyond what they already were aware of. And on to of that, it wasn't like the jungle was any help, given that anything that could have served as some kind of track that they could have used to find the boy was either washed away by the weather, or was covered in thick greenery.

Finally, the group had decided that it was better to turn back to the camp, considering that maybe another search group would be able to find something that they had missed along the way, but Shuuichi was beginning to doubt it. Everything about Akamatsu’s injuries, Amami’s disappearance, and the arrival of mechs reeked of suspicion, and judging by Harukawa’s troubled expression, he wasn't ready to blame it on him being an overthinking detective.

Speaking of Harukawa, there was one thing on his mind that he’d been itching to ask about every since they found Akamatsu in the jungle, and that topic was resting in her grip for the entire journey around the jungle that day.

“Harukawa, I hope you don't mind me asking,” the girl turned her full focus on him as they walked, making the detective hesitate before continuing. “How exactly did you get a, um, you know, _crossbow_ onto an airplane?”

The girl didn't react to the question, and Shuuichi figured she probably was expecting it to come eventually. 

“I have connections because of my job,” she answered curtly. Shuuichi deflated at the answer, reading the clear signals that she was putting out against any further questioning on the topic. Beside him, though, Momota must not have caught on quite as easily, instead perking up.

“If you have connections that important, then they must be looking for you, Harumaki!”

Shuuichi looked at the other boy in confusion at the new nickname, but Harukawa seemed to relax by it, making Shuuichi wonder exactly how much he had missed between the two while he was spending his time trying to pull the rest of the group together.

“Please stop calling me that. And no. It is far more likely that they would view my disappearance as an easy way to tie up loose ends.”

 _So that means that whatever her “job” is, it isn't a good one_ , Shuuichi noted, the girl seeming made uncomfortable by her own words.

“Either way, we’re all here now, and what we did before we got here doesn't really matter anymore,” Shuuichi tried, and when the girl seemed to look at him with a small smile, he realized that he had, by some miracle, managed to say the right thing. 

“Yeah, all the matters now is that we learn to trust and work with each other so that we can get off this island together,” Momota chimed in, bumping his shoulder against Harukawa. The rest of the walk back to the pine forest was filled with Momota telling his own stories from before the crash, going on and on about the stars and the science behind the universe that Shuuichi didn't even try to understand with how fast the other was talking.

* * *

Back at the camp with the rest of the group, another group was heading out on their own search for their missing member, and Shuuichi decided it would be best for him to finally get to know some of the people that he hadn't gotten to spend any time with yet.

And that was how he found himself trying his best to navigate through a conversation with Hoshi. Finding out the the other used to play tennis was a complete surprise to the detective. He had to admit that, given the pessimistic nature of the small guy, he was expecting something more intense.

He supposed he should've been more careful when he voiced that, because the other responded with a long sigh.

“Ever since we landed here on the island, I haven't been able to help much. But thats probably for the better.”

Shuuichi was confused, to say the least. “What you mean? Everyone here is helpful, and that can include you.”

And that was how Shuuichi found out about the other’s true past, hearing stories about violent crimes of both his own and others, leaving the detective rather speechless by the end. Of course, the other had taken that as a signal that he had been right in viewing himself as detrimental to the group.

As the other was preparing to leave, the detective thought back to his conversation with Harukawa before, and spoke before he even realized what he was saying. “You should give let them give you a chance, you know. Besides, I think you may have more in common with some of them than you expect.”

The detective supposed his words were good enough, because the other gave a slight nod at them. “Alright. I wont make any promises, because when it comes to getting along with the group, I think I’ve still got a ways to go. But I might give it more of a shot.”

Shuuichi supposed he would just have to take the small victory.

After the brief interaction, he was practically dragged away by an Angie rambling on about some kind of blood sacrifice. Figuring he should probably do his best to prevent her from harming anyone from their group, he let himself be pulled away by the artist.

Of course, once he found out that it was _his_ blood she wanted for her sacrifice, he tried his best to politely decline, but every such attempt was met with refusal, the girl keeping him there and reassuring him that it was the right thing to do. When she was busy looking for something to draw blood with, which Shuuichi was beyond relieved to find out she didn't actually have on her, he was able to sneak away, instead running into Yumeno.

“Oh, hey there, Saihara,” she mumbled sleepily, reaching to toy with the edge of her hat. “I was just going to show Tenko some magic, and I guess we could make room for another audience member if you really wanna go that badly.”

Shuuichi definitely wasn't expecting the invitation, and if he hadn't remembered back when the girl had first introduced herself as some kind of mage when they first met, he would've been much more suspicious of exactly what he was being invited to. Maybe he was spending too much time with Iruma and Kokichi.

Speaking of, he hadn't actually seen the smaller boy all day. Maybe he should try and find the small liar instead of spending time with Yumeno and Chabashira so that he could make sure he wasn't stirring up any trouble.

“Actually, Yumeno, I was going to go and look for-“

“What could possibly be a better use of your time than spending time with such a skilled mage, degenerate male!?”

“Hey, Tenko,” Yumeno said tiredly while Shuuichi jumped at the booming voice.

“Wait no, I didn't mean it like that! I’ll just, uh, go after?” He hadn't meant for his voice to lilt into a questioning tone at the end of the statement, but Chabashira’s glare was definitely getting to him more than he’d care to admit. The girl huffed at his response, though, muttering something about how men should be more confident than that.

The next thing he knew, Shuuichi was being led by the two girls toward one of the two log cabins that Angie and Iruma had designed and constructed.

“Normally, Tenko wouldn't allow any degenerate into the girls’ cabin,” Chabashira practically shouted at the detective when they were standing outside of the door. “But, Tenko supposes that Saihara is not entirely pathetic, so he may be permitted to enter for now.”

Shuuichi figured he should take what he could get and awkwardly expressed gratitude to the girl over being allowed access to the cabin.

The small redhead spent the next few minutes going through a bag that Shuuichi could only assume was her carryon from the plane before she pulled out a few decks of cards. 

They then set into an easy pattern of Yumeno claiming that she couldn't do any big tricks, not because she didn't have her supplies, but because she was low on whatever MP was. After that, she would do some trick with the cards, and Chabashira would cheer on in amazement while Shuuichi would grow progressively frustrated with as each got more and more impossible to make sense of.

He could probably blame it on working as a detective, but he mentally argued that e couldn't help getting upset when he couldn't figure out Yumeno's magic tricks, and opted to try and cheer her on with praise anyways.

* * *

After the magic tricks, or actual acts of magic, according to Yumeno and subsequently an angry Chabashira, Shuuichi was more than ready to go looking for Kokichi. By this point, he figured it would have to be difficult for him to be pulled away from his goal, given that he had managed to spend time with nearly everyone else in the group.

Of course, that meant he had to spend time with literally every single person before he could get to the person he’d prefer to spend time with the most right then, given that he was quickly pulled away from his search for the, still absent, boy by Gonta and a curious Kiyo. 

“Does Saihara want to see bugs?”

_No._

“Sure?”

And that was how he found himself standing in the jungle, trying his best not to let his discomfort show as the giant of an entomologist kept shoving bug after bug in his face, explaining each one in far too much detail for Shuuichi’s comfort. And in much too close proximity, but he felt that was needless to say by this point.

Thankfully, Gonta had yet to catch on to his discomfort, which meant Shuuichi just had to keep from flinching away from the assortment of beetles and spiders, and he would be fine. But he let himself get too wrapped up in his own internal pep talk, and when he refocused on the other’s lecture to find a wriggling roach close enough to touch his eyelashes, his confidence broke and he jumped back with a yelp.

The bug jumped from Gonta’s hand, making the other let out a sound of concern before turning to Shuuichi, apparently fuming.

When he had first gotten to know the entomologist, he had been infinitely thankfully that the other was so determined to be the perfect gentleman, because that had meant he shouldn't ever look as scary as he did now. A distance away, Kiyo merely watched with intrigue as Gonta began to yell relentlessly at the detective for hating bugs. 

“I don't _hate_ bugs! I just would prefer to, um, appreciate them from a distance!” He tried, shrinking back from the other.

At his explanation, Gonta seemed to calm down some, apparently realizing that screaming at someone else over not liking bugs isn't necessarily gentlemanly. “It alright. Gonta understands, not everyone like bugs like Gonta.”

Shuuichi couldn't help but feel bad for the guy, so he decided to fight back against what his common sense was telling him and tried his best to peek him back up to his usual self. “Maybe I’ve just been looking at the wrong bugs? They’re just so… wiggly and dirty,” the detective muttered the last part under his breath.

Gonta must have heard the last bit anyways, though, because soon enough he was straightening back up with an excitedly look on his face. “Then Gonta will find a bug that Saihara will like!”

“Just nothing with a stinger, please,” he mumbled at the bigger turned to walk through the jungle, clearly expecting Shuuichi, and maybe Kiyo, to follow him. Speaking of the anthropologist, Shuuichi looked over to see the other watching him expectantly. Sighing at the lack of, well anything, from the other, he decided it would be best to stick with Gonta.

After way too many bugs being offered to him for comfort, the detective was growing beyond tired, and wanted more than anything to just go back to the camp. So, when Gonta held out the next insect, one Shuuichi was proud to actually recognize, he gave in and held out his hands for the other to place it in. Maybe if he just held the praying mantis for a minute, they would be able to go back to the cabins and he could stop thinking about bugs.

Much to his surprise, the bug didn't scramble around in his palm like he expected it to. Instead it just sat there, making Gonta smile wide.

“Gonta is happy he found bug for Saihara.”

“Oh right, thanks, Gonta,” Shuuichi tried, still keeping a cautious eye on the insect as it started to wander across his hand. Thankfully, Gonta took the bug back and announced that he was ready to go back to the camp after a few minutes.

* * *

Now that he had managed to spend the day with almost everyone except for Kokichi, he was finally free to go look for the smaller boy, seeing as Tojo and Shirogane were too busy trying to take care of a still unconscious Akamatsu as they had been all day to distract him. 

Of course, that then brought Shuuichi to his current predicament in the form of Kokichi still not being anywhere he could find. Which was what led Shuuichi to doing what he probably shouldn't be doing, given recent events, and going to look through the jungle by himself. Somehow, this brought him to the abandoned warehouse, but that only made the detective grow more worried as the other was still nowhere to be seen.

He was starting to worry that something had happened to the other boy when he decided to head back to the camp. After all, maybe he had already returned from wherever he was all day. Either way, Shuuichi couldn't help growing upset with himself for letting the rest of the group distract him all day.What if something _did_ happen to Kokichi? No one was looking for him today, and the only person who might had decided to spend his entire day with everyone else, ignoring his absence. And now the sun was starting to get low, and he still hadn't found him, and if he didn't find him soon then he could be stuck out all night, injured, dying, and—

Shuuichi froze midstep as he heard something thud and echo nearby. Looking over, he could see light glowing from the ground between the trees.

Ready to jump at the chance that he would find Kokichi at the source, the detective made his way to the light. As soon as he reached it, he couldn't help but feel comforted by the familiar sight of the entrance to the underground tunnels.

And if he heard some kind of thud echoing, then that probably meant someone or something was down there. A closer look at the tunnel showed a ladder fitted against the entrance Gonta had made. A ladder that wasn't there before, and could have easily been dragged here from the warehouse by someone curious enough to explore the tunnels alone.

Shuuichi didn't hesitate to climb down after that, now nearly certain that this was where he would find Kokichi. 

Of course, he just had to go the right way in the mess of tunnels in order to find the other boy. Deciding that the other had probably come down here with intention of finding out something new, he turned in the direction that he and Iruma hadn't gone in when they first discovered the tunnels.

This seemed to be a bad idea, though, because it didn't take more than a few minutes for him to grow helplessly lost.

“You may be getting lost in these tunnels, but I’m getting lost in your eyes.”

Shuuichi jumped at the voice, turning around to find a way too excited Kokichi. The other boy gave him a sly grin as the words caught up with the detective and he grew quickly flustered. In attempt to recover, he made to actually address the other properly.

“Is this where you were all day?”

“Aw~ did my beloved miss me today?” Kokichi cooed before bringing back that same tricky expression Shuuichi had grown to enjoy more than he’d thought he ever would. “Well, maybe he’ll be happy to hear what I’ve been doing down here!”

With that, Kokichi produced a notebook, Shuuichi wasn't entirely sure where from, and opened it to the back pages, showing off sheet after sheet covered in what looked like scribbles.

“Um, did you scribble in my one of my notebooks? For the entire day?”

“Geez, for a detective, my beloved isn't very smart,” Kokichi whined before slowly flipping through the pages until it suddenly clicked for Shuuichi.

“Wait, did you make maps of the tunnels?”

Kokichi looked offended by the question. “Excuse me? How could you possibly guess something _that_ absurd? I’ll have you know that these are clearly plans to make my own giant mecha!”

The words confused the detective for a moment before, he responded. “That’s a lie, isn't it?”

The other’s expression shifted back into his usual grin with a snicker, “Yep! You figured it out the first time, actually. The first map is the entire system, and the ones after that are the sections I divided it into.”

Shuuichi took the notebook when it was held out to him, carefully looking at each page, taking in the intricate details and notes written across each page. “Kokichi, these are…”

“Amazing? Breath-taking? Perfect like me?”

Shuuichi accidentally let too much honesty slip into his answer when he immediately gave a quiet, “Yes.”

That seemed to make the other boy freeze up, making the shorter boy the more flustered of the two for once. “A-Anyways,” Shuuichi was too busy realizing that the other boy was actually kind of, cute when he was the nervous one to pay attention to the rest of what he said. And he wasn't entirely sure why he did what he did next. In fact, if you asked him, he would blame it on being tired after a busy day, but without realizing what he was doing he leaned forward and pressed his lips against Kokichi’s own.

The other stopped everything at the gentle pressure, and Shuuichi began to panic, pulling back and away to take in the sight of a blank faced Kokichi staring off into space without blinking.

_Oh my god. Oh my god I broke him._

“I-I’m so sorry! I don't know why I did that! Please forgive me, Kokichi! I didn't mean to-“

Fingers gripped into Shuuichi’s shirt, pulling him forward and crashing his lips back against the shorter boy’s as he was pressed against the cold wall of the tunnel. After a second of confusion, the detective began to move instinctually against Kokichi’s, the detective absently noting that somehow, even though they were trapped on a deserted island, he could have sworn there was a hint of grape panta as the other boy pressed close to him.

Eventually, the two broke apart to catch their breath. Shuuichi tried to process what had just happened, but before he could, Kokichi grabbed him by the wrist and pull him back through the tunnels to the exit. His anxieties were quelled when he could see that Kokichi was as red as the detective felt, face halfway shoved into the cover of his checkered scarf.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have given up on honorifics (sorry bout that i tried) and am going to go back to remove previous uses of them with the exception of "saihara-chan"
> 
> ~~i dont fucking know how to write fluff OOPS~~


	13. Chapter 13

The walk back to the camp was made difficult thanks to the setting sun darkening the jungle around Shuuichi and Kokichi as the shorter of the two led the way back. Ever since what had happened in the tunnels, the detective hadn't been able to read the others’ expression as it turned guarded, and he couldn't fight back the worry that he had gone way too far. 

The worst part was probably that he still wasn't even sure why he did. Or at least that was what he told himself as he continued to walk with Kokichi back to the camp.

By the time they reached the chasm and started to walk alongside the edge of it to get to Iruma’s bridge, the boy ahead of him seemed to have relaxed significantly, practically bouncing with each step. Too afraid to question the change in behavior, Shuuichi decided it would be best to just leave the other to his own devices as he wandered around the path, looking more closely at the details that made up the overwhelming jungle around them.

Instead of focusing on the shorter boy, Shuuichi let his thoughts wander back to exactly what happened, trying to figure out why he kissed Kokichi so out of the blue like that. And more importantly why the other kissed him back.

Sure, the detective knew he had a habit of growing attached to his peers rather quickly, but never to such an extent as what just happened. What was Kokichi doing that made him stand out so much? He glanced back over to said boy, watching with concern as the other walked as close as possible to the edge of the steep drop of the cliff. Making a silent observation that he would never risk such a thing, and that Kokichi shouldn't either, he was pulled back into his thoughts again, keeping a cautious gaze the other for any signs of slipping while Shuuichi tried to stop tensing up to no avail.

 _Why does he always have to behave so recklessly…_ Shuuichi thought as he walked close enough to the boy that he could catch him if anything were to happen. He wondered if maybe that was part of why the other stood out so much to him. Most of the time, Kokichi was so relentlessly hazardous to be around. He lied to the entire group, he insulted Iruma and Kiibo, and then when he gets a concussion he still acts as if nothing even happened. He never talked about his life before the island, aside from claiming a group that the detective was pretty sure didn't even exist. Even down to how he _still_ tasted of grape soda after being stranded on an island didn't make sense.

Everything about the other was a complete and utter mystery, and Shuuichi couldn't deny that he liked figuring out mysteries. 

So now, watching the other boy teeter far to close to the edge of what would undoubtedly serve as a fatal drop with nothing to break his fall, Shuuichi finally felt that he understood at least one thing. Kokichi was a puzzle, and he was the most interesting, highest-stakes puzzle that the detective had ever discovered.

But his excitement over having solved _one_ mystery quickly left him as he realized that he was just landing himself with more questions than he started off with. He finally understood why he himself had grown so favorable of the other so quickly, even if he wasn't entirely sure how that affection manifested in the form of kissing the other. He was ready to blame Iruma’s influence on that. But he hadn't the slightest idea of why the other had reciprocated the action. 

Shuuichi decided that he was wrong. Kokichi Ouma was not a puzzle, he was an endless supply of them, and the detective wanted nothing more than to pull the strings and unwind them until he found the truth behind the other boy. 

The detective was done fearing the truth if moving past his anxieties meant understanding Kokichi even just the slightest bit.

His thoughts came to a stop at the same time that the other boy did. Shuuichi barely avoided knocking into him when he suddenly froze up, looking over the side of the cliff, face twisted into deep concentration as he stared downwards. Deciding that he’d rather not imagine what would have happened if he’d actually bumped into him, the detective followed the gaze to the bottom go the chasm, unsure of what the other was looking at through the shadows of the night.

Above the pair, clouds moved lazily across the sky until the gentle light of the moon broke through. Shuuichi wasn't sure that the soft light would be of much help, but his uncertainty was quickly dispelled as he stiffened up next to Kokichi, taking in the sight at the bottom of the cliff. Down below them, amidst the hard to distinguish stones and sparse plant life, was an all too familiar reflective silver gleam. 

“Do you think it’s the red one?” Shuuichi heard himself ask, detached from himself as he stared down at the bottom of the cliff.

“Only one way to find out!” Kokichi chirped, standing as tall as he could. The detective probably would've thought that the attempt was much more endearing if the one doing it hadn't just implied wanting to get to the bottom of a steep cliff that, as far as the entire group knew, had no point in which it wasn't a terrifyingly dangerous height.

Shuuichi took the time to glance back over the chasm again before turning back to Kokichi with a questioning expression.

“Don’t worry your pretty little head, Mister Detective! I happen to be plenty experienced with rock climbing thanks to my organization,” Kokichi said, not moving an inch from where he stood.

“I seriously doubt that,” Shuuichi sighed out as he turned to look around them for something, anything really, that they could use to get to the bottom without falling and getting _more_ concussions. As he looked, though, it became painfully obvious that they wouldn't be able to do anything right then, the darkness of night making it impossible to find anything in the greenery, let alone make any judgments over the safety of whatever idea that they came up with.

“As much as I want to figure out more about the mechs,” Shuuichi started, hoping with all his might that the other would agree with him and not try to be difficult over his observation. “I think we would be better off waiting until the morning.”

Kokichi huffed at the suggestion, and the detective braced himself for the inevitable rebuttal when he spoke. “I wanted to play around with the robot, but I suppose that my beloved has a point,” Shuuichi blinked in surprise at the agreement before Kokichi, face growing smug, kept on, “Besides, if something were to happen to me, then my secret organization would be left behind without their wonderful leader.”

Shuuichi figured he was probably supposed to be reading between the lines there if he really wanted to figure out Kokichi, but at the moment he was too thankful that the other hadn't decided to try rock climbing by himself. For what he assumed would be the first time in his life if his claim about being expert held any true weight to it.

* * *

By the time that they got back to the camp, a small group had rushed up to greet Shuuichi. When Momota expressed relief that he was alright, the detective realized how long he and Kokichi had been gone for without letting anyone know where either of them even went. Absently, the detective noted that no one had rushed to ask if the smaller boy was alright, but the boy didn't seem upset in the slightest by the passivity. Shuuichi decided to add it to a mental list of questions and uncertainties he had around the other.

More pressing, though, was the realization that his absence had brought worry, at least from the small group composed of Momota, Harukawa, and Kiibo that stood around him right then. He could definitely understand why they were reacting like they were, after all two of them had gone missing just recently, and only one of them had been found.

“I… I think I have an idea, but I don't think everyone would like it.” The group listened carefully, and Shuuichi put in an effort to disguise his discomfort with the attention as he continued. “What if we set up some kind of curfew? Like everyone has to be back before dark, and that way we’ll know if someone’s actually missing or in danger instead of just sitting around wondering about it?”

Harukawa and Kiibo nodded in agreement with the plan as Momota gave Shuuichi what he supposed was _supposed_ to be a gentle punch on the shoulder. “See, ideas like this are why you’re my sidekick, Shuuichi!”

“Oh, um, thanks, K-Kaito, I guess? I mean it wasn't really some kind of genius plan, anyone could've come up with it…” Shuuichi trailed off as Kaito started to talk over him excitedly.

“So what were you guys doing to be out so late, anyways?” Kaito asked.

Shuuichi felt himself growing red as the memory of the tunnel was the first to come to mind.

“Damn, Shithara, did that Shota fuck you or something? And to think, I just accepted that no one on the plane had any lube when we wrecked, but you were just hoarding it the whole time!” Shuuichi jumped at the sudden appearance of Iruma, spluttering out halfway thought up responses to her coarse words. 

“Just ignore her,” Kiibo said, sending a weak glare to the blonde. She opened her mouth to speak again when the white haired boy cut her off before she got the chance. “But really, where were you two?”

This time it was Kokichi who spoke up first, and Shuuichi had never been so grateful that the boy was such a blatant liar and that he would, without a doubt, lie about what actually happened and change the topic away from anything embarrassing.

“ _Obviously_ , Saihara-chan and I were making out in the underground tunnels!”

_Oh my god._

“What, ew, dude you shouldn't lie about shit like that!” Kaito shouted. Beside him, Harukawa was glaring at the liar as he stood with a proud grin stretching across his face.

“I am inclined to agree!” Kiibo squeaked out, face burning red as he stared at Kokichi. For once, Iruma had nothing to say, merely rolling her eyes and groaning in annoyance at the other boy.

Shuuichi watched all of this in awe, trying his best to take in the fact that Kokichi had saved him the embarrassment of the group finding out what had happened by telling them exactly what happened. Maybe he could start to see a way that lying could be helpful.

That was when he remembered the notebook filled with scribbled maps of the underground tunnels. 

“A-Anyways, what we really did, was um,” he fumbled through the last few pages, showing them to the group. Iruma caught on quickly, snatching the notebook from Shuuichi’s hand as she flipped through the pages.

“It’s the underground tunnel system. You two virgins made a complete map of them,” her voice sounded like a whisper compared to it’s usual booming volume.

“Well, Kokichi is really the one that deserves credit. I couldn't find him all day, but when I finally did, he already had all of that done.” Shuuichi’s voice felt small, especially when his words just ended with the smaller boy getting suspicious looks from the small crowd around them.

“How do we know that these are accurate?” Harukawa asked, straight to the point as he gaze never left Kokichi, even as the boy stuck his tongue out at her in retaliation.

“We walked around the tunnels with the maps after he showed them to me. If they were wrong then I would've noticed then.” Kokichi’s expression went right back to smug at the detective’s words, Harukawa refusing to lessen her glare. “But that’s not the only reason we got back so late.”

Shuuichi was starting to get tired of having to tell the group impactful news day after day, but given that the only other person there was Kokichi, and the chances of them believing anything out of his mouth was completely impossible, so he told them all he could about the mech that they found at the bottom of the chasm.

“So you think it’s the red one?” Kaito asked. 

“Well, we could see the colored paint on it because it was a little dark, being night and all,” Kokichi answered, staring and picking at his nails as he spoke, making Kaito bristle at being so blatantly ignored.

“So you think that there’s a third one?” Harukawa asked. 

The last of the playfulness left Kokichi’s expression as he stared down the girl. “You aren't listening close enough, Harukawa. I didn't say that I _think_ anything. I just won’t stand here while everyone tries to convince themselves that they know more about this island than they actually do. Given everything that’s happened since we got here, do you really want to assume anything about this place, including how many mechs there are? For all we know, the two we know of could just be the start. There may be two mechs here, and there may be two hundred. But anyone who claims to know any truths of this place is a fool who will put everyone else in danger as a direct result of their own hubris.”

Harukawa looked slightly shocked by the sudden forcefulness in the usually mischievous, yet relatively harmless boy’s sudden change. The rest of the group looked much more surprised while Kaito just looked agitated.

“I-It was too dark for us to get down there to check it out, so we thought it would be better to get a group to go together tomorrow instead.” Shuuichi’s words managed to at least distract the group from the sudden change in atmosphere, even if only by a little.

“Alright, that sounds like a plan,” Kaito smiled at the detective, giving him a tense thumbs up. “We can all go together tomorrow after we update the rest of the group, right Harumaki?”

“Fine.”

“Great plan that _you_ thought of, _Shumai_ ,” Kokichi said, expression wearing a gentle smile that did nothing to disguise the bitterness laced into his voice as he stared at the still irritated Harukawa.

“Um,” Shuuichi wasn't sure exactly what more he could say to ease the tension between the two, so instead he chose to tug the other back by his arm gently, guiding him away from the group. “Goodnight, everyone.”

Harukawa broke her glare by turning and walking away from the group pointedly, leaving Kaito to follow her after sending Shuuichi an equally apologetic and confused look. As he directed Kokichi away, he couldn't keep from noticing the awkward tension sitting between the very lost pair of Kiibo and Iruma. 

Instead of leading Kokichi towards the cabins, Shuuichi found that he was pulling the other away from the rest of the group by the edge of the pine forest.

“Kokichi, look, I think we need to talk about, whatever that was,” the detective started.

“I don't know what you mean, Shuuichi.”

“Stop trying to deflect.”

“Stop trying to interrogate,” the words came out more harsh than Shuuichi had expected. What he wouldn't give right now for the smaller boy to be a much less complex puzzle. Like maybe some kind of word search would be nice compared to trying to figure out why the other was suddenly so tense.

“I just want to help, Kokichi. Just tell me why you’re so upset about all of the sudden,” Shuuichi tried. Kokichi rolled his eyes at the explanation, but relented.

“Look, I’m just tired of Harukawa acting like she’s some kind of genius who knows everything,” he huffed out. Shuuichi was ready to offer comfort at that before remembering exactly who he was talking to.

“Kokichi. Harukawa has been nothing but helpful since the plane crashed, and she has not since behaved that way once,” he said. The smaller boy seemed to tense at the response, and Shuuichi wasn't sure if he was more reassured or dissuaded by the confirmation of the other’s lie. “Try again.”

“I didn't want them to know about the mech in the bottom of the chasm. What if they were to tamper with it and ruin what could be a very important discovery,” Kokichi stated, crossing his arms as he tried to stare down Shuuichi.

Unfortunately for the liar, the detective refused to rise to the bait, and instead responded with a much warmer expression as he pointed out the other’s contradictions. “We already have access to a mech in fairly good condition, having another going relatively undamaged wouldn’t be important for those reasons.”

Kokichi gritted his teeth at that before speaking up again. “Kaito’s voice is annoying. It put me in a bad mood.”

“You snapped at Harukawa, not Kaito.”

“All of those stupid nicknames he calls her annoy me, and they just need to get a room already,” he answered, mask starting to crack at the edges as his frustration with Shuuichi’s tenacity began to show.

“You call me nicknames all the time, Kokichi,” he pointed out. The other’s frustration seeped into silence now as both boys just stared at each other in the quiet of the pine forest.

After a few minutes of the tense quiet, the smaller boy seemed as if he were about to storm of when he suddenly deflated, gaze dropping away from Shuuichi’s. The detective could only watch in confusion as he was met with yet _another_ version of the small boy that stood in front of him.

Kokichi looked like he was saying something, but Shuuichi couldn't make out the mumbled words.

“Kokichi, I cant tell what your saying,” he said, voice significantly softer than it had been through the rest of the conversation. 

The boy rolled his eyes dramatically before looking back up at the detective. “I said,” he seemed to pause for a brief moment, and if Shuuichi didn't know any better, he would think the other was being hesitant. “Was what happened in the underground tunnel really that embarrassing for you?”

That was not what Shuuichi was expecting to hear from the other. But thinking back, it was after Kokichi had told everyone and was met with some less than favorable reactions that he grew tense. He supposed Harukawa must have just gotten caught in the tornado of emotions that was Kokichi by sheer accident. 

None of that was what mattered then, though. When Shuuichi didn't immediately answer, the other boy brought back his usual taunting grin with his unsettling laugh, but all of it felt too strained, too forced. Especially when he announced a triumphant, “Hah! I got you, Saihara-chan! Wow you should totally see your face right now, you look so ridiculous.”

“Oh, I get it now,” Shuichi mumbled. Kokichi gave him a strange look before shaking his head and moving to push past the detective. But before he could get away, the taller stopped him with barely even a touch against his wrist.

“And what exactly do you get, then? Because I’m dying to hear what you seem to think you’ve figured out.”

Hoping he was doing this the right way, Shuuichi didn't answer at first, at least not with any words, as he pulled the other into a tight hug. The other didn't move at first, standing awkwardly in the taller’s hold as he began to explain, “You don't look ridiculous, Kokichi. I just thought you would be upset about what happened so I didn't want to push it.”

Another few quiet moments passed before Shuuichi felt arms wrapping back around him, and he let go of a breath he hadn't even realized he was holding.

“I am definitely going to keep calling you Shumai, though.”

The detective couldn't help the quiet chuckle that escaped at that, giving one last squeeze before letting the other from his hold. 

“You can call me whatever you want, so long as you do it on the way back to the cabin because this was a long day and I’m tired.”

Kokichi seemed to accept that as he marched off toward the other end of the pine forest, the detective following behind, amused by the return of his seemingly boundless energy. He found himself grateful in that moment that the other wasn't any kind of easy puzzle, and he couldn't help but appreciate that he would take an unpredictable amount of time to figure out if that meant he got to learn more about him and stick by his side longer than he first thought he ever would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fun fact, this chapter wasnt originally going to exist at-fucking-all,, but here it is so enjoy the bonus messy fluff before i drop yall into the garbage fire of the plot again lol  
> also, as of this chapter, this fic is longer than the great gatsby,, which is like a 200 page novel,,, wild,, i cant write 400 words for my history discussion


	14. Chapter 14

Waiting until they had the light of day to guide them to the bottom had proven to be a good decision. After the group had proposed the idea of introducing a curfew, the rest of the survivors hadn't needed any other convincing as they agreed with the idea readily.

With that, the small group had made their way back to the chasm, and after much debate, a plan became clear.

That was what lead Shuuichi to where he was now, hands gripping makeshift rope so tight that he would be more surprised if he didn't walk away without painful blisters. They had decided that half of the group would remain at the top of the cliff and make sure that the rope Iruma had provided would remain stable. Meanwhile, they came to the conclusion that the best people to send down to investigate the mech were the detective, the inventor, and the roboticist.

When the other two had seemed more than nervous to propel down the side of the cliff, Shuuichi had been practically shoved over the edge by a confident Momota. Now, as he slowly made his way down, the detective could stop shaking, anxiety rising as his hands began to grow clammy, which of course only made him more anxious and thus the climb even more frightening.

His grip began to slip, and the detective found himself sliding down the rest of the length of rope until his feet thudded against the ground heavily. Stumbling from the impact, he was ready consider himself lucky he had been close enough to the ground to keep from getting hurt.

He looked up to see the tense shapes of his friends at the top of the cliff, barely even distinguishable against the harsh sunlight from where they stood. Shuuichi tried his best to give a clear thumbs up to the group, hoping that they could tell what he was even trying to do from such a distance.

It must have worked out, because he could see the shape of the next person, he was pretty sure it was Kiibo, moving to descend the rope next.

Still shaking from the adrenaline of the climb, he turned back to face the mysterious mecha that they had found and promptly set to work cleaning it of plants laying spread across it.

 _That doesn’t really make much sense,_ he thought to himself as he cleared the mech, _There’s hardly any other plants down here at all. So why is there so much thrown on top of the mech?_

As he worked to finish uncovering the mech, something else became painfully clear. The ground behind him crunched as Kiibo reached it.

“Find anything?” He asked, walking over to help Shuuichi investigate the mech.

The detective’s gaze was stuck on the mech, still half covered in greenery, but more importantly the lack of any opposing color sticking out against the plant cover.

“It’s green,” He said quietly.

The two didn't hesitate in working to pull back the rest of the cover from the metal, uncovering more gray and green as they went. By the time that Iruma joined them, the mech was cleaned off entirely, green standing out against the grays and browns at the bottom of the canyon.

“A new one, then,” Kiibo finally concluded as the trio took in the sight of the third mech. Shuuichi couldn't keep from wondering exactly how many mechs that meant could be on the island, but there was no way he was going to risk voicing those concerns when the two standing next to him had to already be thinking the same thing.

“Did you guys want to get a closer look then, to see if it’s different from the blue one or anything?”

Iruma nodded at this, walking over to the broken down robot and seeming as if she were looking for something. Kiibo must have known what she was doing, because he jumped into action and moved to help her, leaving behind a confused Shuuichi.

“We found a latch on the blue robot last night while you were gone,” Kiibo started to explain.

“Yeah, while you were of screwing around with that little twink, I, being the great and beautiful genius that I am, figured out how to pop these suckers open from the outside,” Iruma cut him off. “The inside of these bitches are almost like there’s supposed to be a person in there, and we figured that the latch was probably meant to be some kind of way to open the locked mech from the outside. So if we can just find the latch, this bitch’ll open up easier than a whore’s legs.”

“Uh, okay, I guess,” Shuuichi muttered, trying his hardest to ignore the vulgarity of the statement in exchange for walking over to inspect the mech closer, doing his best to guess what the latch that they were searching for would look like.

If Iruma was under the impression that the inside of the mech worked to hold a person, then would that make it some sort of cockpit? But then again, there hadn't been anyone inside of the blue one when it went after he and Kokichi. _Unless it ran on an AI until a pilot overrode that programming with their own controls somehow._

But who would do that? It had to be the person who made the mechs in the first place, but that just brought back the blatant fact that no one else was on the island apart from the sixteen survivors that crashed there.

His thoughts cut short by a popping sound from the mech followed by a pleased hum from Iruma.

“Alright sluts, let’s see if this bad boy’s any different from the other one then.”

A smooth panel of green lifted up at Iruma’s movements, revealing a sight that none of the them had been prepared to see. Really, something that they would have preferred to never have to see in the first place.

Packed and curled up tightly in the space of the cockpit was the fragile form of a familiar green haired boy, completely unmoving. Shuuichi’s eyes flickered over the sight, taking in tattered clothing, darkly colored bruising, and finally the smell of overheated sweat, grime, and blood hit him, making the detective lurch back and start coughing uncontrollably, the other two following suit with Iruma looking as if she were on the verge of giving into nausea.

“Is that…”

Kiibo nodded aggressively before Iruma could even finish the question, eyes scrunched up shut as if that would erase the sight from his mind.

“Is he…”

No one responded this time, instead turning to stare at the mech with apprehension.

Finally, Shuuichi took a step forward, surprised to find his footing stable. Assuming he must have just run out of adrenaline on the climb down here, he chose not to question it further, and instead moved towards the mech, the cockpit, the boy inside of it. Bringing up a hand to cover his mouth and nose in a attempt to block the overwhelming stench, he reached the other.

Steeling his nerves, the detective reached forward with his free hand, pressing fingers against a throat far too warm to be healthy. When he felt the faint thrum against his fingers, he coddle screamed in relief, but instead he shouted to get the other two to snap back into focus and help.

“He’s alive! We need to get him out of there,” He said, urging the others to help him get the other boy free of the green mech.

After a great deal of careful movement in their attempts to pull the boy out without risking any further injuries, they were finally able to get him out and sit him on the ground in the shade, eight pressing back against the side of the cliff.

By the time the three of them had decided that the best way to get the green haired boy out of the chasm would be by hauling him up with the rope that they had, they parted ways, Shuuichi going back up to the top after Iruma to tell the rest of the group what had happened while Kiibo secured the boy to the best if his abilities.

Once the rope was tugged thrice, Kaito led the team in hauling up the other’s weight, finding that between their teamwork and the possibility that the other boy had been sealed inside of that mech since his disappearance, the task went by with ease, the main concern being not injuring him on his way upward.

* * *

With the addition of Amami, the group made their way back to camp as quickly as possible. Kaito carried the green haired boy to the bets of his abilities, but the fact that the other was semi-conscious, moving randomly and mumbling incoherently, was far from helpful in the endeavor.

When they finally got back to the camp, they were bombarded with questions, the rest of the crowd of survivors rushing over ta the sight of a crumpled up, filthy, exhausted, dehydrated, overheating Amami. One person in particular caught the detective’s eye though as she made her way over with the rest of the group, albeit slower than the others.

“Kaede, you’re alright!” Shuuichi made his way over to the blonde, almost missing the way that Kokichi tensed up when he did. Almost. He’d have to figure out what that was about later, but for now he had more important matters at hand.

The girl wrapped him in a hug when he got to her, but Kokichi could tell she was struggling through it. As the rest of the group set to trying to make sure Amami was alright, the detective decided he would be more helpful just standing out of the way and letting the people who actually had any idea of how to help the other boy do what they needed to.

“Where did you find him?” The girl texted to him asked, leaning her weight against Shuuichi as she stood next to him. While they watched, Toujo had set to sending a small group to get water from the stream while the rest fluttered around, asking the rest of the group that had found him panicked question after panicked question.

“You um, know about that big chasm in the island, right? He was stuck in another one of those robots at the bottom of it,” he explained. Kaede hummed at this before speaking back up.

“I was already able to tell everyone else while you were gone, so I’ll tell you now. We were out mapping the island when we found the mech. It looked so old and worn down, so we thought it would be safe to investigate. But when we got close to it, it started moving and making this terrible noise as it turned on. We tried to run, and we finally lost it, but then something grabbed me. It… It was another one. I thought I was a goner for sure, but then Amami distracted it and it dropped me.

“But that’s all I know about Amami. After that, we split up and the second mech followed him. I passed out while I was trying to run, and when I came to was when I found you guys again. Shirogane told me about the blue mech you found in the jungle before me, and I’m certain that it was the first mech that chased us. The second one, though, I’m not entirely sure, but if I’m remembering correctly, then it was-“

“Green, right?” Shuuichi cut in, and her expression confirmed his suspicions. The mech that they had found Amami in was the same on that had chased him. But if the mech was just going to seal him away in the cockpit, then why would they target Kaede by grabbing and crushing her like she claimed? And beyond that, why conceal itself in the bottom of the chasm like it did. No matter how much information that they gained, it always seemed to lead to more questions and mysteries. And don't even get him started on that number sequence again…

“Are you alright after everything that happened?” He asked, turning his attention back to the blonde next to him.

“Well I’m definitely better off than Amami,” she muttered before trying to straighten back up, which only resulted in her cringing back to her previous position against the detective. “I sprained my ankle when we I was running from the mechs, and Shirogane and Toujo are pretty convinced that I broke some ribs, but agreed that as long as nothing feels numb then I’ll be alright.”

Shuuichi wanted to ask why exactly that would be a worry, and his confusion must have been clear, because she answered before he could even voice the question. “Something Yumeno said. Apparently she knows about animals from using them in her magic and once had a bad experience with a snake and a rabbit. She said something about how the effects of constriction are loss of blood flow which means feeling numb.”

Well if the rest of the events that day hadn't been enough to make the detective worry, then that sure did the trick.

“And?”

Kaede rolled her eyes, “No numbness, don't worry. Although some pain relief wouldn't exactly be disapproved of at this point. I’m starting to think that Shirogane and Toujo were right about my ribs.”

At this point, Shuuichi was just relieved to hear that she was doing so much better than when they had first found Kaede back in the jungle. Of course, even that relief wasn't enough to distract from the state that Amami was currently in.

“Saihara, you’re a detective, right?” Shuuichi hadn't even noticed Kiibo walking over to them, jumping at the sudden voice. When he didn't deny the question, the other continued on with a decisive nod to himself. “Then that means you know injuries, doesn't it? Detectives have to be able to figure out causes of death, and by extension you would be able to figure out how someone got hurt and how that injury affects them.”

Shuuichi tensed up at the trailing thought. “Not really, that’s more of forensic specialist’s job…” he argued, but the white haired boy was already pulling him in the direction of the gradually dissipating crowd around Amami. The detective looked over his shoulder to Kaede for help and felt nothing short of betrayal when the girl simply gave him a thumbs up.

* * *

The rest of his day was spent helping take care of the green haired boy as he drifted in and out of consciousness.

They hadn't really needed Shuuichi’s help to figure out that he was dehydrated and burning up from being trapped in the small space of the mech for so long, but the dark haired boy couldn't help but feel comforted by the possibility that he was actually helping the other. By the time the sun was lying low on the horizon, everyone had spent at least a small amount of time helping the other boy.

His only break from trying his hardest to keep Amami cool and hydrated came in the form of Kaito and Harukawa dragging him away under the guise of needing to work out. Shuuichi was grateful to have people that cared enough about his well being to pull him away from a stressful situation that he was convinced he could weather on his own, though. So he went along with the reason easily, even when they only spent a few minutes exercising before they took to talking about their own lives before the island.

Harukawa had been quiet for most of the conversation, letting Kaito ramble almost endlessly about his fascinations and ambitions.

But Shuuichi wasn't particularly paying attention to his words, instead silently noting how Harukawa seemed to hang onto every word, even though she was trying not to let it show. His mind wandered to thoughts of Kokichi again, briefly wondering where the other had disappeared to after they had gotten back to the camp.

His thoughts quickly changed direction, though, as he considered something he hadn't really paid much attention to until then.

“Hey Kaito, is it really possible to tell location based on the stars?”

The other boy looked confused by the question, but nodded anyways. On the other hand, Harukawa seemed to catch onto Shuuichi’s train of thought almost immediately.

“Then you could figure out where we are, right?”

That finally made it click, and Kaito practically lit up at the question. “Yeah, it’s how we used to figure out latitude! All we have to do is find the angle between the horizon and Polaris! But of course, we have to wait until night to do that.”

Shuuichi nodded in understanding at the statement, but still couldn't help but feel excited at the prospect of finally getting some kind of an idea of where exactly their island was. Maybe it would be close to somewhere that they could go to for help, but Shuuichi was cautious to get his hopes up over such a possibility.

“What about longitude?” Harukawa asked.

“Huh?”

“You explained how you could find one measurement but not the other. Could you figure out our longitude?” She clarified.

Kaito looked a little more uneasy about that question, and it became clear when he spoke. “Well, yes. But it’ll be a lot more difficult than latitude. Basically, I need to figure out what time the sun is at its highest here, and its just some easy math from there. But the problem is that we don't really have any ways of knowing what time it actually is here. Like we can find a watch or something left on the plane, but we have no idea what time zone we’re even in right now.”

He seemed to deflate even further at the end of his explanation, while Harukawa seemed to turn to her own silent thoughts.

“At least we have latitude then,” Shuuichi pointed out, trying to lift the mood. “That’s way more than we had before, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Kaito’s smile started small before growing wide and excited. “Yeah exactly! See, this is why you guys are my sidekicks! Together, we’re going to find a way off this island for everyone here.”

The grin was contagious, and soon enough Shuuichi found himself copying it, Harukawa even giving a softer expression of her own at the other’s optimism.

“Enough standing around, though! There’s nothing we can do about that now, and if we aren't at our best when we finally figure out where we are and where we need to go, then there might as well be no point to helping everyone off this damn island, so let’s get back to the work out!”

Shuuichi fought back a groan at the declaration, wanting more than anything right then to just sit back and enjoy the company of his two friends. But he agreed anyways, and the three went back to what they had been doing before getting distracted by both plans for escape and understanding of the island that they were all stuck on together.

* * *

That night, Shuuichi, along with Kaito and Harukawa, had opted to wait out in the camp past sunset as to keep an eye out for the star that the astronaut in training would use to find out where they were. Together, they sat in a semi-circle facing the direction that Kaito claimed the star would show up in, said boy sitting in between the other two survivors. In his hand he held a piece of paper that he had gotten from Shuuichi after their conversation earlier that day.

When they regathered, he had explained that he folded it so that the creases would be able to indicate easy to read angles, and the detective found himself endlessly grateful that among the possible people in the world that he could've gotten trapped on a deserted island with, one of them happened to be this resourceful when times called for it.

It hadn't taken very long for the comfortable silence of the group to be broken by the arrival of a certain loud purple haired boy as he draped himself across Shuuichi’s back unexpectedly.

If the detective hadn't grown used to the other boy’s apparent ability to show up out of nowhere by now, the surprise definitely would have made him react much more similarly to how Kaito jumped in surprise at his arrival. On the other side of the luminary, Harukawa shifted and turned a narrow gaze to the small boy, making Shuuichi remember way too clearly the tense atmosphere that Kokichi had last held between himself and the other two when he lashed out at the twin tailed girl.

But if Kokichi had noticed the glare, then he was doing a very good job at ignoring it in favor of making himself comfortable against the detective. “Hello again, my beloved! Were you hanging out with Momota all day?” He frowned as he waited for Shuuichi’s reaction, but continued on when he only got a skeptical look from the detective as he tried to figure out where he was going with this. “Ah, well I sure hope his idiocracy didn't rub off on my Shuuichi!” Alright, so that was where.

“Hey! Who are you calling an idiot?” Kaito practically shouted.

“If you have to ask, then you’re really just proving my point for me, now aren’t you?”

Kaito began to argue back at that, and they were only interrupted when Shuuichi practically dragged Kokichi off of his back to pull him to his other side opposite of the boy he was arguing with. “Please behave, Kokichi,” he pleaded.

Kokichi huffed at this before muttering a low word of reluctant agreement before speaking up at his usual volume again, “But I’m not taking back what I said to Harukawa.”

Figuring he should probably just take what he could get when it came to Kokichi arguing with the other two people sitting next to him, Shuuichi just gave a sound of understanding before changing topic so that no more bickering could start back up. “We’re going to figure out the island’s latitude, right Kaito?”

His words had their desired effect, and the conversation switched back from hostility to explanations of how you could use the stars as a form of guide. The rant was lost on Shuuichi, but thankfully Kokichi only found it in him to jab at the other only a few times before growing bored with the predictable responses that Kaito would give him. Instead, he took to leaning against Shuuichi and watching the forest around them with a bored curiosity while Harukawa herself relaxed from her previously tense position beside Kaito.

Eventually, the four fell into an odd silence as they waited for the sky to darken enough that the cars would become clear enough to reference. After a while of enjoying the sky’s changing colors, Kaito pointed out a star somewhat near the horizon, explaining it to be the north star as he pulled out the folded paper to help figure out the most precise angle that they could with such little resources.

“… About thirty.” Kaito finally concluded, turning around to face the other two.

“Which would mean?” Shuuichi prompted him.

“A fair deal north of the equator. South of Japan, north of Hawaii.” Kokichi cut him off before he could answer, standing from where he sat against the detective and stretching with a loud yawn. “I’m bored and tired now, Shuu, can we go to sleep now that we know a whole new number to add to our ever growing list of them?”

“I hate to admit it, trust me, but the little demon has a point, let’s go, Harumaki,” Kaito said, standing and stretching before heading off in the direction of the two cabins in the pine forest.

Shuuichi made to follow them, but stopped when he realized Kokichi wasn't joining them. He turned around, confused, and was met with the other boy seemingly deep in thought. He called back to him, jarring the other from his thoughts as his expression turned back to his usual grin.

“What were you thinking about?” He tried, doubting he would get a straight answer.

“Just some math! See, I had a lot of it that I was supposed to be doing over break, but, seeing as we got trapped on a deserted island, I’m hoping I’ve been excused from my supreme leader duties for the moment. So, let’s go to those cabins, now!”

With that, the small boy made to bound past Shuuichi and toward the same direction that the other two had gone in, grabbing his hand at the last second to tug him along. As he was led away, though, the detective thought about Kokichi’s claim. Maybe he was overanalyzing things, but now, as he thought back on it, the smaller boy’s lies had almost always had some kind of intention behind them. And on the rare occasion that they didn’t, they were meant to hide some truth while clearly hinting at said knowledge.

Shuuichi felt that he could safely assume that what he had just been told, he hadn't bee told for with the intention of spurring along any ulterior motive, so what could he have been referring to when he mentioned math? Then again, he mentioned those other numbers, too.

_Unless…_

The detective opened his mouth to speak, a sudden realization overcoming him, but was cut off when Kokichi opened the door into the cabin that held the individual room’s for each of the boys.

“Goodnight! I’ll see you in the morning, my beloved,” he didn't get a single word in before the smaller boy turned and sealed himself in his own room in the cabin, leaving Shuuichi standing dumbly in the common area of the building.

Deciding that he would just have to wait until morning to test his suspicions, the detective opted to just head in the direction of the last vacant room in the cabin so that he could just turn in for the night, mind filled with numbers and stars as he tried to figure out precisely what it was that Kokichi knew and chose to keep hidden for the time being.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi im still alive  
> sorry for not posting for a while there,, school was kicking my ass tbh,, BUT im back now :D
> 
>  
> 
> in other news u can come yell at or with me on tumblr @relictior


	15. Chapter 15

Shuuichi’s feet were pounding against the ground, threatening to sleep with each step he took across the soggy leaves covering the jungle floor. His own heavy breathing and rapid heartbeat filled his eardrums, but they were far too quiet to drown out the roaring of metal around him.

His feet tripped over each other, sending the detective collapsing to the ground in a panicked heap. The screeching of metal around him only grew louder, and he curled up into himself in response, palms reaching to cover his ears in a futile attempt to block out the overpowering sound, shaking with each short breath he struggled to pull in. 

This was it. He was going to die. One of those mechs was going to kill him. After everything he had already been through on the island, his time was up. He wasn't able to help anyone escape in the end. _They believed in me and I let them all down. Every last one of them._

The crunching and snapping of trees drew his attention in front of him, eyes flicking up to lock onto a blue and green mech that towered above him, appendages poised as if to strike.

_I’m so sorry._

The overwhelming noise of scraping metal began to shift into something more natural as the mech lurched towards the crumbling boy, his eyes widening further before screwing shut in terror at what would undoubtedly be his demise. Around him, the sound continued, leaving the detective shaking from the rush of terror that gripped him, but no blow came, the screaming taking on a more and more human tone.

Shuuichi snapped upright with a yelp of fear, breath coming out quick and uneven as his eyes struggled to adapt to the darkness around him. 

He blinked in confusion for what felt like hours, but what he was fairly certain was only a few minutes before his mind caught up to his racing heart.

 _A dream. It was just a dream._ He realized, muscles relaxing and feeling heavy as the adrenaline left him empty and alert.

He was alright, and it was just a dream. Or rather, a nightmare, he supposed. No mechs were coming after him and he was going to be alright. He hadn't let everyone down, and they were going to get off this terrible island no matter what. But even with that comfort, thoughts of whirring metal and scraping steel filled his mind, and as Shuuichi lay, he couldn't manage to even close his eyes for more than a blink before the anxiety crept back in.

Deciding that just laying around and hoping for sleep while trying to avoid diving back into dreams of death and fear was just not going to work for him, the detective resigned himself to pacing around his room, mind wandering from topic to topic. However, every last question led him back to wondering about the mechs, which only brought more worries in.

When he had enough with the cycle, the detective considered leaving the cabins in favor of some fresh air, and he silently made his way from his room. Trying his best to keep from making any noise that would disturb the rest of the cabin and wake any of the other boys on the island, he crept down the hall and towards the exit, slowly opening the door as to keep it from creaking in response to the movement.

As soon as the door was open wide enough, Shuuichi slipped through and quickly made his way a short distance from the cabins. But as he walked, darkness filling around him as the silhouettes of trees were only barely visible under the pale moon hanging in the sky above him, his thoughts began to race once more, and the detective began to think that coming out into the dark, dangerous forest by himself was the last thing he should have done.

His breath started to pick up once more, gaze growing unfocused as he grew consumed once more by memories of screeching metal.

An unexpected pressure against his side sent him flinching away from the source, eyes turning to take in the sight of an amused Kokichi.

“Shouldn’t you be asleep?” He questioned the smaller boy.

“Well,” Kokichi took in a deep breath as he prepared for his undoubtedly confusing and false story that he was about to delve into when the detective cut him off, pressing a palm against the shorter boy’s mouth before he could continue any farther.

“Forget it.” Shuuichi’s voice was barely heard even in the quiet of the night, and he wasn't even sure if Kokichi would ditch whatever elaborate story he was about to make up. He didn't have to wonder for very long, though, seeing as he was too busy trying to figure out why his hand suddenly felt significant warmer and slimier and- “Did you just lick me!?”

The detective pulled his hand back from the other’s face with a gasp of shock, face flushing red as he shot the other an accusing glare. His face turned into an expression of surprise, though, when the smaller boy grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him to the ground, sitting before grinning widely.

“I have no idea what you could possibly be talking about,” Kokichi started, but this time Shuuichi was too busy trying to wipe the spit from his palm to interrupt him. “All I was _trying_ to do was see why my beloved detective was pacing around his room in the middle of the night, and then he tried to strangle me! Y-You wouldn't r-really try to st-strangle someone that y-you love s-so m-much, r-right, Shuuichi?” His smirk was replaced with a broken expression, voice growing louder and higher pitched, leaving Shuuichi to frantically try and quiet the other before he woke up all the other survivors, ideally this time without getting saliva all over his hand.

“Of course I’d never do that! Please stop crying,” The detective pleaded with the smaller boy, who immediately snapped his mouth back shut, giving Shuuichi a look as if he were considering the offer way more than the taller boy thought he should be.

“Alright, only if— and only if! — you do me a quick favor!”

Desperate to keep the other quiet, Shuuichi nodded.

“So, Shumai, if the sun is at it’s highest point at around three in the afternoon according to _this_ ,” Kokichi suddenly pulled something from his pocket, shoving the leather and metal in the detective’s face, “watch, then do you know what that means?”

“Uh… The watch is wrong?”

“Yes and no. Think about it some more mister detective! See this is why you’re only my second favorite,” he declared, jabbing his index finger towards Shuuichi before continuing on, ignoring the indignant question of what exactly the other meant by _second_ favorite. “Luckily for you, my experiences as a supreme leader happen to include advanced mathematics, though! So, tell me, what happens to the time when you travel long distances?”

Shuuichi stared on in confusion before giving up on trying to guess the smaller boy’s point and just feeding into whatever he was leading up to. “I guess… you change time zones and have to change your clocks, so that clock is still on Tokyo time?”

“Correct! But still not there quite yet,” Kokichi praised the detective, who in turn was too tired and confused at this point to bother fighting back the blush that crawled up his face at the other’s attention. “But why do we have different time zones?”

“Because if we didn't then the time wouldn't exactly be reliable for people who travel or interact between them, right? But I don't see what any of this has to do with us, Kokichi.”

“Shhh! Be patient! I’m getting there!” he huffed, crossing his arms and giving Shuuichi a condescending look. Only when the detective let out sigh and a half-hearted apology did he go back to explaining what he was rambling on about. “So, my beloved detective, would you not agree that you could use the difference between noon in Tokyo and noon here on this island to figure out our longitude to go along with out latitude?”

“That, actually does make sense,” Shuuichi said slowly, before realizing something that had him frowning in sudden frustration. “Except we would have to already know what Tokyo’s longitude was. Without that, we’d just know how many degrees away from Tokyo we were.”

“And lucky for us, there happens to have been one person on this plane ride paranoid enough to research the longitudes of both our starting point and destinations on our flight, because somehow he actually thought that would help when he didn't even know how to use it properly!And that one person is, drumroll please!” Kokichi looked to Shuuichi expectantly.

“Please just get to the point, already.”

“Ah come one, it’s obviously Kiiboy!” He practically shouted, the taller boy going back to trying to quiet him before he could _actually_ wake everyone else up.

“And our lucky number? One hundred and forty! Which, after some quick and easy math, happens to put us right at,” he paused, arms moving to rest against the beck of his head as his expression turned smug. “About one hundred and seventy five. Sound familiar?”

Now that Kokichi was asking, Shuuichi was almost tempted to agree. Somewhere, he was sure he had heard something like that, but it wasn't quite there, what could the other boy be trying to get at? Unless he meant…

“One hundred and seventy six!” He practically shouted, before realizing how loud he was being and quieting back down. “I-It’s the numbers, isn't it? Those last two from the sequence Iruma and I found? And if that’s the longitude, and latitude was around thirty degrees, then the actual latitude is twenty eight degrees.”

“And so four of the six numbers have been solved! Two of which by entirely my own doing, might I add on,” Kokichi said, watching Shuuichi with amusement. 

“Actually I’m pretty sure Kaito gets credit for figuring out the latitude. And wasn't it Kiibo that remembered the terminal gates?”

Kokichi pouted at this. “Fine, that was a little bit of a lie, but I deserve most of the credit for figuring out twenty eight since I was the one who actually got past the whole ‘about thirty’ thing.”

“And why am I only your second favorite detective?” Shuuichi asked, giving Kokichi a curious look. 

“Ah, well that was a lie, too!” He declared, grin wide as he beamed up at the flustered detective.

After that, the two quieted down, Shuuichi’s mind running over the fact that they only had two numbers left from the sequence to solve. He wasn't sure how long that they had sat there, but he felt his eyes tart to droop when he drowsily spoke back up again, mind turning back to thoughts of the last times they were so close.

“Hey, Kokichi, about what happened in the tunnels…” Shuuichi started, only to be cut off when the other boy tensed up next to him, expression freezing in place.

“I don't know what you're talking about,” Kokichi said shortly. “It was just a mistake.”

 _Oh,_ Shuuichi realized, unable to keep away the frown that came across his face at the outright rejection of the topic.

Kokichi got to his feet, making a show of bursting dirt and pine needles from his clothes in the process. But the movements seemed stiff to the detective, and he suddenly remembered exactly why he was so determined to figure out the boy standing next to him.

“But that’s another lie, isn't it?”

That seemed to get Kokichi’s full attention, face falling back to the familiar neutral expression from the last time that Shuuichi tried to call him out on a lie that seemed to be… a little more personal than most. 

Now, though, the expression wasn't as frightening as before, because now Shuuichi was fairly certain he knew what it actually meant. _His walls are coming down, and he doesn't know what to do about it, does he?_

“… Perhaps,” Kokichi muttered, eyeing the detective suspiciously.

Shuuichi put all of his tired energy towards hiding his surprise at the unexpected form of confession from the other.

“Or maybe that was a lie, too!”

Yeah, that sounded more right. Taking in a deep breath, Shuuichi finally forced himself to the conclusion that the only way to get anywhere with the liar was if he dragged him there himself. “Well, um, I-I wouldn't exactly, you know, be opposed to, uh, d-doing _that_ again.”

_Smooth, Shuuichi._

Kokichi’s expression turned guarded again, and Shuuichi worried that he was going to literally run away from him again. But before he even realized what was happening, he felt a pair of lips pressing against the top of his head just before Kokichi whirled around to face back towards the cabin.

He sat there for a few moments, trying figure out exactly what just happened until Kokichi turned around, waving a hand in front of Shuuichi’s red face. “Hello? Earth to Saihara-chan? Are you even listening?”

Shuuichi was pretty sure that Kokichi hadn't even said anything, and was just trying to change his attention away from what just happened as fast as possible. “Kokichi-“

“Well, now that you’re back, I think it’s been a long enough night! You should get some rest, seeing as we have a big day tomorrow!”

“We do?”

“Yes, silly!” Kokichi exclaimed, yanking Shuuichi back up from the ground and moving behind him to push him into walking towards the cabins. “Don’t you remember promising to spend tomorrow with me asking Gonta to show us his favorite insects?”

“What is it with you and trying to make Gonta show us bugs?” Shuuichi muttered, trying to resist the urge to yawn as the surprise from what happened a few minutes ago faded away, feet moving along with Kokichi’s urging.

“Aw, you caught me!” He said, slipping to walk beside Shuuichi instead of behind him. “But seeing as we’re going to investigate where Kaediot got separated from Amami tomorrow morning.”

Shuuichi had to admit that was actually a pretty good idea. Besides, they didn't exactly have anything to lose, seeing as the half of the group that had even a little experience with medical care was helping watch over the injured Amami, and the rest were occupying themselves in helping construct Iruma’s boat.

So instead of trying to argue, Shuuichi instead stayed quiet, letting a comfortable silence fall over the two boys as they slowly cracked the door to the cabin open to sneak in through. 

“You know, I gotta admit, you're actually not that boring, Shuuichi,” the smaller boy whispered as they stepped into the building. The words were spoken so softly that the detective wasn't sure he was even supposed to hear them, so instead of answering, he reaching out a hand to grasp Kokichi’s own, giving it a light squeeze. Kokichi turned to him at the action, expression more open than Shuuichi thought it could ever be. The taller gave him a warm smile, hoping to convey the emotion going through him in that moment that he didn't quite understand himself.

After all, maybe Kokichi was the same way.

As he opened his own door as quietly as he could, stepping lightly back into his room, the detective couldn't help feeling a sense of calm wash over him. Not only had he gotten past whatever nightmare he had to wake him up, but he even felt like he actually got somewhere with the small liar that he had found himself growing increasingly fond of.

* * *

Shuuichi was woken up the next morning by loud knocking against his door. Groggily, he instead opted to ignore the slamming against the wood, shifting uncomfortably and mumbling incoherently in protest of the sudden loud noise.

The noise died down, and the detective could feel him slipping back into the sweet lull of sleep when his door slammed open with a loud clatter. 

“Morning, sidekick! Come on, we’re going to help with the boat today,” Kaito said, reaching to pull a grouchy and tired Shuuichi away from where he was still trying to sleep.

Instead of answering, the detective curled into himself, trying to clock out the other’s voice as a strangled noise of frustration escaped him. Sure, sleeping on an arrangement of airplane sheet cushions was not the most comfortable way to get some rest, but he’d sooner die than be dragged away from it right then.

Apparently waking up in the middle of the night from a nightmare and spending an hour or so outside before trying to go back to sleep tends to make you tired in the morning. Who could've guessed?

Suddenly, Shuuichi felt the air moving around him, and he froze in place, a yelp of confusion escaping him as he tried to adjust to the fact that he had been thrown over Kaito’s shoulder.

“W-Wait I’m not wearing actual clothes!” He practically screeched, trying to convince Kaito to put him back down so that he could at least wear more than his shirt some sweatpants that he had snagged from the mass of carry on luggage back when they first cleared out the plane of it. 

It worked, though, seeing as Kaito seemed to understand and moved to put the panicking boy back down.

“Five minutes, Shuuichi!” The astronaut said, lightly punching the detective’s shoulder. Unfortunately, the boy was too tired to actually prepare himself for the friendly hit, and ended up almost falling over from the force of the impact. Thankfully, Kaito turned and left with that, calling out a greeting to someone else in the cabin along the way.

Only then did Shuuichi remember agreeing to investigating into the disappearances of Akamatsu and Amami. He rushed through pulling his clothes from his backpack and changing into them, snatching his hat before Kaito could come rushing back in.

Shuuichi made his way from his room, heading off to find wherever Kaito had gone off to so that he could tell him that he already had plans for the morning. But once he stepped outside of the cabin he was knocked over by an overly enthusiastic weight slamming into him.

“Good morning, Shumai!”

Shuuichi’s response was muffled by the scarf suffocating him.

“Come on, get off of him!” Suddenly, the weight was lifted away from him. The detective looked up to the sight of Kaito lifting a struggling Kokichi away from him, the latter letting loose a string of threats as he tried to break from the grip holding him off the ground by the back of his jacket. 

“Anyways, Shuuichi, are you ready to help out with the boat? Harumaki and I were going to help with the mast today, and we could always use the extra help.”

The detective was about to try and explain that he had already agreed to help Kokichi investigate the scene of Akamatsu and Amani’s initial disappearance, when the small boy stilled in Kaito’s arms, crossing his arms as his grin turned sly. “Wow sounds like a great plan! We can’t wait, can we, my beloved?”

Shuuichi tried to stutter out a response that would get the look of frustration off of Kaito’s face at Kokichi inviting himself along to help with the boat.

“As long as he doesn’t get up to anything, then he may come,” a cool voice joined them. “But if I see him so much as _look_ at anything he isn’t supposed to be looking at, he will not make it back to the cabins tonight.”

“Ooh, is that a promise, Harumaki?” Kokichi cooed, Kaito rolling his eyes and dropping the smaller boy back to the ground.

“Do. Not. Call. Me. That.” Harukawa glared at the smaller boy as he bounced to stand next to Shuuichi, arms linking behind his head. “Let’s go.”

She walked past the group before pausing to turn back to where they all stood, watching them expectantly. Kaito was the first to start moving, walking back over to the girl, grabbing Shuuichi by the arm along the way, “Yeah, with my two sidekicks coming along, we don't have to worry about anything! Even if the little gremlin decided to invite himself, too.”

“Hey!” Kokichi yelped, catching up with the group, “I’ll have you know, I made plans with my precious Saihara-chan way before you barged in and interrupted them!”

Kaito looked over at the detective with an expression of utmost betrayal. “Shuuichi, tell me that isn't true!”

“Oh, uh, w-well it kind of is,” He muttered, free hand reaching to pull his hat down.

But was stopped by Kokichi snatching it away before he could, fixing it onto his own head instead with a grin, “But I suppose I can share him with you two losers for today!”

Shuuichi tuned out the rest of the argument that followed, slipping his arm out of Kaito’s grip and walking ahead of them until was side by side with Harukawa. 

The silence between them felt comfortable, and was only broken when the detective opened his mouth to say something, hesitated, and shut it again. Harukawa must have noticed this, because she gave Shuuichi a questioning look.

The detective swallowed before he got out a quiet, “You seem to be… nicer since we first got here.” The detective reached for his hat as soon as he got the statement out, but settled for simply running his fingers through his own dark locks when he was reminded that his hat was currently busy elsewhere.

The girl simply stared on forward at his words before giving a slight nod in a response that Shuuichi could only assume was positive, judging by the fact that she didn't outright deny the observation.

“And you seem more confident in yourself,” She said after a few more steps, giving Shuuichi a small smile. Surprised at the kindness from the normally cold girl, he simply returned the polite expression.

The detective then took the time to pay attention to the banter behind them again as they continued walking, letting Harukawa lead the rest of the way to the boat’s construction sight. He was fairly certain that by this point he would never be able to figure out what exactly the two were arguing about so passionately, but was distracted when Harukawa muttered something next to him.

“What was that?”

She seemed to hesitate before clarifying, “You may call me Maki.”

Shuuichi was too surprised at first to even get out a response before finally recovering. “Oh, well then you can call me Shuuichi.”

“But the purple haired devil back there cannot call me that,” She said, eyes narrowing. “I don't know why you’re trying so hard to get along with him, but at this point I don't think I would be able to convince you to stay away from him. And even then, it probably wouldn't be my place.”

The detective gave her a glance before turning to look back in the direction they were heading again, accepting that there was no way Kokichi would ever truly get along with the rest of the group even remotely like how Shuuichi had managed to. But he supposed that was okay, and that the last thing he would ever do would be to try and force the smaller boy to change. 

For now, they would just have to work together like they already were in their mission to escape the island. And that goal meant working together on the boat. Besides, now that he and Kokichi had figured out their exact latitude and longitude, they actually knew where in the world they were, and from that, they’d actually be able to put the boat to better use than aimlessly sailing and just hoping to stumble upon land by pure chance. 

All that was left was to actually finish making the boat itself and decide who would try and take it to the nearest populated land while the rest stayed behind to keep each other safe from the island. And given that the group seemed to be working as a team better than ever before on the island, missing survivors found and recovering, the detective felt that the dream of escape was finally coming within reach.

Sudden darkness blocked Shuuichi’s vision, accompanied by a familiar laugh. He reached to pull at the brim that had been pressed across his face crudely, looking over to a snickering Kokichi with a smile that he didn't even want to bother trying to hold back right then.

“What were you thinking about there, sidekick?” Kaito asked, clapping a hand across Shuuichi’s shoulder.

Letting the action sway him far more than it really should have as an excuse to knock shoulder against Kokichi where the smaller boy was still laughing next to him, he shrugged as he tore his gaze away from the wide grin of Kokichi’s. 

“Nothing really. But about the latitude and longitude…” Shuuichi stopped talking as Kokichi took over the conversation for him, proudly declaring his determination of the two numbers to the rest of the small group on their way to the warehouse where the boat was being built.

As Kokichi kept on talking about the number longer than he really needed to, making only occasional jabs at the other two that were received with either annoyed glares or murmured retorts, Shuuichi decided that even if escape wasn't as close as he was hoping for it to be, they would still make it out together, every last one of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im back and not dead (x2 oOPS)  
> but im on spring break which means that a consistent posting schedule still wont be back for a bit sorry bout that
> 
> also,, dont try to write serious dialogue while watching the emoji and angry birds movies,, you will want to die


	16. Chapter 16

It was on the walk to the beach that Shuuichi had chosen to let Maki and Kaito take the lead. With that, he was falling in step with Kokichi at the tail end of the group, voices ahead of him speaking loudly enough to cover up anything spoken quietly between the two boys, which was exactly what the detective had been hoping for.

“I think we should tell them about the numbers,” he whispered.

“What do you mean? Did we not already do that?” Kokichi asked, giving him a confused look.

“I mean tell everyone about the numbers. Especially if we’re going to have a boat sometime soon, knowing where we are gives the people on it a chance to go to the nearest place possible.”

Kokichi didn't speak for the next few steps, and his eyes looked as if he were staring at something far away, unfocused, too deep in thought to track what the attention was even being directed at. “If we tell the entire group, then there’s a chance that they’ll react too well.”

Shuuichi’s brows furrowed. “Too well? Wouldn't that be a good thing?”

“No.” Kokichi’s answer came immediately. “I know you’d like to think that you know these people so well, and that you can trust them so much, but you need to be more honest with yourself, Shuuichi. We are all strangers who met each other a matter of a couple months ago. Just because we get along does not mean that would continue if the pattern is disrupted.

“Take the cult chick for example, we don't know anything about her beyond her name, the name of her deity, and her talent in art. Say you give her our exact location, the direction of the nearest populated land, and a functioning boat. We have no right to say one way or another how she would react. Sure, she might be patient and cooperative and we all get off of this island safely eventually. But she might also seize the opportunity for herself because it’s just such a great idea. In the end, she reacted well, and was just optimistic enough to decide that she could sail a ship to safety on her own. Anyone here could do that, Shuuichi.”

Well that definitely shut the detective up a bit as he continued to walk along beside the smaller boy, expression turning downward as he tried to reason against Kokichi’s words to the best of his ability. But even with his best efforts, he had to admit that he had a good point, even if it came from distrust rather than rationality.

“So what’s the likelihood that any of us would be on the boat to guide them, then? I doubt they’d pick me, and besides, I don't even know how to do that math you did to find the numbers, so I’d be completely useless out there.”

Kokichi laughed a little to himself as if he though of something funny, and when his laughter died down to a quiet giggling, Kaito and Maki giving him a suspicious look before turning back around to ignore him, he continued on with the conversation. “Well I don't really expect them to pick me, even though a supreme leader would be a perfect captain.”

“Yeah you’re right, I don't really see any of them wanting to be trapped in tight quarters on a boat with you,” Shuuichi thought aloud, earning an indignant shout from the smaller boy followed by a wave of fake tears that went ignored by the detective until he finally piped down with a muttered complaint. 

“Anyways, there’s a good chance they’d want to take Kaito, and maybe even Maki.”

Shuuichi did have to agree with that one. After all, it only made sense to send someone trained in and familiar with working in tight quarters on a boat. Especially if that person already showed that he knows how to use the night sky to find at least one measurement of where they are.

“I still think we should tell, though,” Shuuichi said after a few more minutes of silence between the two. “It just feels wrong to keep something so important from the rest of the group.”

When Kokichi didn't answer, the detective bit his tongue. There had to be some way that they could tell the rest of the group. “Besides, even if we don't tell them, I don't really doubt Maki’s ability to keep a secret, but do you really see Kaito keeping this quiet?” 

Still more thoughtful silence before finally, “What about a compromise? We can tell them one at a time. That way we can keep an eye on the people who know so that we can make sure they don't so anything suspicious.”

Shuuichi couldn't help finding it ironic that Kokichi was the one worried about other people acting suspiciously when he was the one trying so desperately to keep their location a secret, but he conceded regardless. It seemed that this compromise would be the best he could get out of this, and if he only got to start off telling one person, he would need to decide who to tell, and ideally fast. Hopefully, he would be able to use today to tell them.

He briefly considered telling Angie, she always seemed so calm about everything that she probably wouldn't take action, and she had already proven herself capable of lying when they had first discovered the warehouse. But Kokichi’s example of her still sat fresh in his mind, and he shoed the idea away.

Chabashira was way too impulsive and brash, and the detective figured that even if he did tell her, she wouldn't be on board with keeping a guy’s secret away from any of the girls there. Yumeno crossed his mind next, but quickly left when Shuuichi considered the likelihood of her letting the password slip on accident. 

Kaede and Amami were obviously out of the question, seeing as everyone was already keeping a close eye on them, making proving them to be trustful entirely pointless in the eyes of the short boy next to Shuuichi. And seeing as Tojo was busy taking care of them, he decided it wouldn't make sense to tell her so that he could prove to Kokichi that at least some of the people on the island were trustworthy. Which was unfortunate, because Shuuichi didn't think she seemed like the type to run away from danger and disregard her friends in the process. Or at least he hoped that he actually knew her well enough to believe that. And given the fact that Hoshi had finally found his place in helping Tojo, he wasn't ready to test him and knock him out of his newfound place of comfort and reliability.

And when his thoughts turned to Shirogane, he realized he hardly knew a single thing about the blue haired girl apart from her love of cosplay and his own personal experience with how well that transferred over into giving someone stitches when they were run through with a metal rod. 

Meanwhile he could never even imagine Gonta lying, let alone ever want to make him have to. And he was sure that if he tried to get Kiibo to play along with anything, the roboticist would short circuit under the pressure. On top of that, Korekiyo was… Korekiyo.

Shuuichi cringed when he realized that only left him with one choice. But it kind of did make sense. After all, if anything happened on the boat that needed repair, they would need her help, so she was sure to be invited. And even through the way she acted around everyone, Shuuichi had no doubt that she really was a smart as she claimed, and that she’d have no problem figuring out the latitude and longitude, given that he could convince Kokichi to tell her how.

By the time that Shuuichi had sorted through his decision, they arrived to the beach, keeping him from being able to tell Kokichi who he had decided on telling. Hopefully the other would understand his reasoning, seeing as he would have to act first and explain later, something that the detective always hated having to do with a passion.

As they got to the beach nearest the warehouse, the detective ran right into a rushing Iruma, scrambling to catch her before she fell to the ground from the unexpected impact. He was sure that the blonde was saying something less than pleasant about it, Kokichi returning the insult from behind Shuuichi. But he was too busy staring past the inventor in awe of the sight behind her. 

Up until that day, the detective had worried that the boat wouldn't be coming along too well so far, and that his spending time doing everything except for helping out with the construction project would lead to Shuuichi being brought down by regrets of not contributing more. But from the sight of the wooden boat, really more of a ship if the detective was going to be entirely honest with himself, he found himself filled with complete and utter awe.

“You with us, Cuckhara!?” Iruma quipped, fingers snapping just in front of Shuuichi’s face and making the boy flinch backwards with a start.

“Y-Yes!” He yelped in surprise. “It’s just…”

“Oh yeah, Saihara-chan hasn't seen the boat yet has he?” Kokichi asked, but the words came out more as a statement as he leaned forward with a grin. “Too bad it’s gonna take at least twenty people to take it out to sea, isn't it?”

“Shut it, you fuckin’ shota!” Iruma shouted, making Kokichi open his mouth to say something before Kaito spoke up instead.

“Cut it with the damn lies already, Ouma,” he said, rolling his eyes. Kaito then turned his attention to Shuuichi with an excited expression. “It would only fit about half of us on it safely.”

“Oh! Can we please send the slut on it!” Kokichi chirped, arm raised and waving in the air as if he were asking a question in class instead of interrupting a conversation between friends. “If we send her on the boat then she wont be around to ruin my precious Shuuichi!”

All of the arguing was going to give the detective a migraine at this rate. While Iruma was still sticking her tongue out at Kokichi, Shuuichi started towards the ship where it was stood up on the beach. Kaito followed closely behind, Maki beside him as they made their way to the wooden structure. 

The ship was beyond impressive to the detective, and he could tell that he wasn't the only one feeling encouraged by it. The group must have been working beyond their limits to get it to where it is now, but given the people he was on the island with, he wondered if it should really be much of a surprise at all at this point. After all, with an inventor, artist, and astronaut in training, he figured he shouldn't have expected anything other than something so impressive in such a short amount of time.

Aboard the ship, he could see Gonta working with Angie to set up what he assumed was to be the mast of the ship. Beyond them sat a group of Shirogane, Chabashira, and Kiibo were pulling and cutting at a tarp, the roboticist gesturing to different ends of the material as he talked to both of the girls. There was no doubt in Shuuichi’s mind that the ship would be finished much sooner than he had ever expected at this rate.

Iruma popped up next to the detective, and he tried moving to the side to give her space before Kokichi made his presence known on his other side with a giggle and glare directed at the annoyed blonde. At this point, Shuuichi didn't even want to know what had caused that to happen, but for now he decided that it would be best to take the opportunity to speak with the inventor about the ship in private while he had the chance. 

Sure they had gotten it up easily, but Shuuichi couldn't help worrying over who exactly was supposed to leave on it. And even past that, he wasn't sure if he was ready to share the discovery over the last two numbers from the sequence with the entire group yet. Especially given the risk that finding out about them would lead to them acting impulsively and putting themselves or anyone else in danger on the peculiar island.

With the shorter boy around though, there was no way that would be happened without turning into some kind of competition over who could spew the most insults and innuendos. “So what should we help with, then? I mean it seems almost finished but there has to still be something, right?” He asked, looking over to Kaito.

The boy in question shrugged helplessly. “It looks like Gonta and Angie could use some help with the mast, but Kiibo seems to have the sail over there under control just fine.”

Shuuichi gave a short nod, leaving for Kaito to lead the way over to the ship, attention turning back to Maki along the way. Kokichi gave the pair an irritated look before begrudgingly following them, and the detective started to fumble as he tried to think of an excuse to stay back and talk with Iruma when she spoke instead. 

“Hey, Shittyhara, I gotta ask you a few questions before you wander off with your little boytoy,” she said before turning and walking from the detective. 

After getting over his initial confusion about why the inventor had wanted to speak privately herself, he rushed to catch up with her. A quick glance over his shoulder as he left the beach granted him eye contact with a suspicious Kokichi, to which he had to shrug helplessly as he followed Iruma. 

* * *

The two went the rest of the walk from there in silence until arriving at the warehouse and the girl let out a breath before fixing Shuuichi with an impatient glare. “Alright, slut, you’ve been actin’ like you’re about to blow your load the entire way here, so what was it you needed to say?”

Shuuichi hesitated briefly before answering her. Was this really a good idea after all? Maybe he should think about his decision of how to tell about the numbers more. How was he supposed to know if Iruma would be able to keep a secret.

_She’s already kept two,_ some reasonable part of his brain argued back.

The girl in front of him was growing more and more fed up with waiting for every second that passed, until she finally barked out, “Well fine, if you didn't have anything important worth sharing, then then maybe I should take control of this conversation again and give your panicked virgin mind a break!” She turned to open the door to the warehouse without so much as another glance at the deceive as he stood completely still trying to recollect himself.

“Wait, no!” He yelped once he regained his bearings, moving to squeeze through the doorway behind Iruma. “I needed to ask if you think you’re going to be on the ship when we send it off.”

“Of course I am, dumbass!” Shuuichi flinched back when the girl suddenly raised her voice. “What else would they do without my genius brains if something broke? Not that anything I built would ever break, of course, but I don't trust those idiots around my inventions in the slightest bit”

_Okay, now or never then, Shuuichi. You have to tell her before she gets irritated again._

“Then there’s something else, but you cant tell anyone else. The only people that know are me, Kokichi, Kaito, and Maki.”

That definitely grabbed her attention, but maybe not in a good way seeing as she had taken to eyeing him suspicious instead of blindly agreeing. “This means I don't have to work with that creepy bitch again right?”

“Uh… do you mean Angie?”

“Well duh.”

“Oh, then no. But,” Shuuichi braced himself for the retaliation that the next sentence would bring. “You would have to work Kokichi, but just for a little bit, he just has to explain something to you and that’s all!” The rest of the words left him in a rush, his eyes scrunching closed as he waited for the words to leave their impact on the blonde.

At first, she didn't respond, but when the words finally sank in, her reaction made her distaste and distrust towards the other boy painfully obvious. Given the fact that she was practically shaking with frustration, Shuuichi started to seriously regret his decision to confide in Iruma of all people. Maybe he should have just told someone else after all.

She opened her mouth a few times before finally speaking a single word through gritted teeth.

“Fine.”

“Wait, really?” Shuuichi’s body immediately relaxed as he was overcome with confusion. _Well that was… easier than I expected._

“Don’t get me wrong, I cant stand that little abortion. But what I cant stand even more than that is the cuck knowing something I don’t. So I’ll help.”

Shuuichi almost questioned exactly why she was so desperate to know what Kokichi did, but he supposed he shouldn't take the opportunity for granted. With that relief, the detective launched into expressing gratitude for the blonde agreeing to trust him, making the girl shrink back and stutter through various excuses to try and get him to stop until snapping and asking what he wanted to tell her that was so important anyways.

From there, the detective told her about the numbers, explaining that they had figured out the location, and clarifying that all she would need to get from Kokichi was the way he figured out the longitude using only some watch he found on the plane. 

She definitely didn't seem all too enthusiastic to have to have any form of a conversation with the other boy, but agreed to keep the secret nonetheless. It was then that Shuuichi remembered that he hadn't even been the one who came up with the excuse to talk in private.

“What did you want to talk about anyway? I needed to talk about this, but you pulled me from the group before I said anything.”

Iruma was able to quickly recompose herself thanks to the change in topic, much to both of their reliefs. Straightening up, gesture behind her into the warehouse. “It’s just something that I’ve noticed about this place last time I came here, and I thought it would be a good idea to tell the detective of the group.”

Shuuichi nodded in understanding and let the blonde lead the way through the warehouse until they stopped in a spot all too familiar to him. “This is where Kokichi fell through the roof isn't it?”

“Exactly. But I was thinking more about it, and something about that demonic koala falling through the ceiling just didn't make sense to me. He’s tiny as shit, and he probably weighs less than a fuckin’ chihuahua. So I came back and tried looking closer.” With that, she turned back to the scene, walking to the nearest rack of shelves that filled the warehouse from wall to wall.

Without providing any explanation as to what exactly she was trying to do, the girl rammed her full weight against the shelves, even going as far as to push and pull them with all her weight until she was panting from the exertion. Or at least Shuuichi assumed it was the exertion.

“What are you-“

“See! Doesn't budge! Now look at this,” she pointed over to the top of the rack on their other side where, when Shuuichi looked close enough, he though he could see something. “Broken ceiling chunks are on that shelf, but not that one,” she supplied, index finger moving back to the top of the shelves she had tried to move.

None of the shelves would move an inch, no mater how hard the girl had pushed. And then the broken ceiling was only on top of one shelf tower, despite the fact that the hole in the roof above them was centered perfectly between the two. But Shuuichi just felt like he was missing some piece of the puzzle still.

“Anything else?” He asked, hoping that Iruma would hold that final piece, but the girl just shook her head. 

“I figure that if anyone could figure out what’s wrong with this picture, it’d be a trained detective. Unfortunately our group is fresh out of _trained_ detectives, so I had to settle for your pathetic ass.”

“Oh, thank you, then. It means a lot that you would choose to trust me with this out of everyone here.”

The girl let out a disgruntled huff and a quiet thanks in response.

But that still left the missing pieces far and away from the detective. Deciding against just giving up on the investigation, he elected to take a closer look at the shelves for any evidence of what could have happened to cause all the mysteries surrounding Kokichi’s fall.

It wasn't until Shuuichi’s hand brushed against a rough scrape in the the metal of the shelves that he finally found that piece, letting it fall right into place alongside the others.

“The red mech.”

Iruma gave him a perplexed look.

“The red mech!” He practically shouted, looking over the scene of Kokichi’s injury quickly. “Kokichi said he remembered seeing a red mech before completely passing out. And you said it didn't make sense for the roof to collapse under someone so small. So what if the red mech climbed up the shelves while Kokichi was on the roof, waited for him to go above it, and smashed it intentionally? That way, the chunks of roof that would have fallen on the first shelf would have landed on the mech instead, and would have fallen to the ground when the mech moved.

“And then, once Kokichi was on the ground, the mech could have climbed down. And I don't know why, maybe to see if Kokichi was dead, I guess, the mech went up to him, lifted him up from below the debris, and placed him back down on top facing the other way. That would explain the inconsistencies in Kokichi’s injury and how he was found, why he was on top of the debris instead of under it, why the one shelf is clean, and where the scrape on the shelf came from!”

When he finally reached the end of his thought, he looked over to Iruma to see the girl staring at him with a weird look on her face.

“I mean, that’s just my best guess with what we know and all…” He trailed off, wavering when her expression didn't change in the slightest.

“Holy shit, Pooichi.” Iruma muttered. “You really are a detective.”

Shuuichi flushed in embarrassment at that, resisting the urge to reach for his hat with all of his willpower. So that meant she probably agreed then, and the detective began to feel confident in his decision to trust Iruma with the latitude and longitude of the island. Now he just had to get Kokichi to explain the math to her, and wait for the ship to be finished so that they can set everything in motion.

For those that were left on the island, though, he supposed it would be best to keep an eye out for this red mech above all else. Which meant Shuuichi would have to continue keeping the group working together for what he could see in their futures. But if the rest of the survivors would be able to trust each other like this so easily, then maybe he could prove to Kokichi that trusting others could be worth it along the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ayyy and we're back to the plot ~~thank god~~
> 
> i am literally so thankful to be past the dialogue heavy chapters now, and wow look at me actually posting at the rate i aim for even tho im on spring break and expected my schedule to only get worse
> 
> also heres a fun fact, when i was originally thinking up the plot for this fic, i only expected it to get around 60k words max, but now as this fic hits that length, i realize that estimate was very incorrect


	17. Chapter 17

“It just doesn’t make any sense,” Shuuichi seethed as he paced back and forth across the worn down undergrowth.

Standing a distance off to the side, Kokichi watches with a mix of amusement and concern as the detective seemed to reach his wit’s end. “Maybe it was just luck?”

Shuuichi turned to give the other an irritated glare at the suggestion. There was no way that the two had spent all day investigating where Kaede and Rantarou were attacked by the mechs for the holes in their evidence to fall under _luck_.

And there was absolutely no way that he would accept even the possibility that them spending hours tracking the routes that each of the two survivors took when fleeing from the mechs was in any way a waste of time. If he could figure out what happened to Kokichi back in the warehouse so long ago, then he would find the truth behind his friends’ disappearance.

But still, so much of what he and Kokichi had found, especially when put together when Kaede’s account, just didn't make any sense whatsoever.

No, something weird was happening on this island, and Shuuichi was going to get to the bottom of it all. And that started with figuring out what happened to Amami after he split off from Kaede so that she could escape the mech.

He hadn't even realized that he was still pacing back and forth until the smaller boy suddenly appeared in front of him, making the detective jump back in surprise, barely keeping himself from falling over.

“You know, for a detective, you really aren’t that good at solving mysteries,” Kokichi drawled out, a sly grin crossing his face.

Determined to resist the clear bait laid out for him, Shuuichi fought the urge to respond immediately, choosing his next words carefully instead. “So does that mean you figured out everything that happened, then?”

Kokichi swayed backwards, arms swinging loose by his sides before clapping together behind him, grin never leaving his features. “Maybe, maybe not. Who knows?”

Shuuichi could feel the frustrations from the investigation up until that point threatening to boil over at the other’s reluctance to contribute anything other than watching the detective try to figure everything out by himself while the shorter boy sat around and spoke in circles. Asking so straightforward was bound to fail, anyways, and Shuuichi realized then that a he should have accepted that before bothering to as the other what he knew.

“Maybe if we just go over everything we know from the beginning, we’ll be able to uncover what happened to Amami,” the detective said. Kokichi didn't argue against the idea, much to his relief, so Shuuichi tried his best to think back over what they had found out over their afternoon investigating so far.

* * *

Once Shuuichi had returned to the beach with Iruma, he had joined in helping work on the ship in whatever way he could, which really just turned into a mix of running to get materials and tools for everyone and standing awkwardly to the side and watching Kokichi boss everyone around despite not actually knowing what they were supposed to be doing either.

At some point near the middle of the day, Kokichi’s commands contradicted Iruma’s one too many times, and, after a brief shouting match between the two, Kokichi was kicked out of the beach so that the rest of the group could actually get work done.

Grumbling under his breath, the smaller boy made his way over to Shuuichi before shaking the irritation from his face. “So, Shumai! How about we get back to what we were _going_ to do this morning before that purple haired idiot interrupted us!”

Shuuichi briefly debated between arguing that Kaito was far from an idiot and pointing out that a good number of people on the island would ague about who deserves the title of “purple haired idiot,” but instead something else came out with more than a little exasperation mixed into the detective’s tone.

“You were _trying_ to get kicked off the beach!?”

Kokichi rolled his eyes at this, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, and looking back, Shuuichi had to admit that it very well might have been.

Instead of bothering to answer the question, the other boy grabbed Shuuichi by the wrist and pulled him in the direction of the broken down blue mech. Shuuichi resigned himself to whatever Kokichi’s plans were for them to remainder of the day, focusing any energy that he would have spent protesting against the other’s ideas on slipping Kokichi’s grip from his wrist and into his hand.

When the two reached the broken down blue mech, Shuuichi was reminded that the mech itself was going to be useless in their investigation, if the state that Iruma and Kiibo had left it in was anything to go by.

“Alright, Mr. Detective, how do we start this investigation, then?” Kokichi asked as the took in the mess of torn dirt and trees that surrounded the blue mech.

Shuuichi hummed in thought, looking around the scene. “It would be best to start by looking for anything suspicious here, and after we’re done, we can track the route that Kaede and Amami took.”

“Suspicious? My, my, Shumai,” Kokichi cooed, leaning back on his heels as he spoke, “Are you finally starting to understand how naive it is to blindly trust these people?”

“No,” The detective answered immediately, gaze hardening with his certainty. “These mechs were here when we first crashed, which means someone else would have been here before us in order to bring the mechs to life in the first place. _They_ are the one we shouldn't trust, not our friends.”

Kokichi pouted at the statement before rolling his eyes exaggeratedly, letting out a loud groan that finally broke into a proclamation of being bored before the small boy turned his attention back to the scene around them.

Shuuichi decided it would be in both of their best interests to let the topic drop at the moment. After all, even if Kokichi didn't see that the rest of the group was deserving of trust, then Shuuichi was even more determined to find a way to prove it through their actions rather than his own words.

For now, he would just have to do everything he could to find the origin of the mechs, and if investigating what had happened behind their friends being attacked led him to the answers to his questions, then he’d keep searching until he drew his last breath. 

Hopefully, it wouldn't come to that.

But as the next few hours passed, nothing about the area seemed wrong in the slightest, not even a single blade of grass stood out of place. Eventually, Shuuichi had suggested just following along the direction that Kaede and Amami had run in so that they could try searching something new instead of staring at the same broken down and taken apart mech and the broken trees that surrounded it. 

The track was far from difficult to find, seeing as the trees that they followed were scraped and torn up by what Shuuichi felt safe in assuming was a reckless mech trying to pursue its targets. But still nothing stood out to the two boys as they wandering along the path.

That is, until the path abruptly stopped.

“Um…” Shuuichi let out, looking at the undamaged trees ahead of them. “Maybe the mech doubled back?”

“And how exactly, then, did Amami end up trapped in that mech?”

“The first one could've doubled back, but he could've kept running. That would have given him a chance to run into the green mech farther down, I think.”

Kokichi hummed thoughtfully, or at least it sounded like he did, but the detective was starting to think that the sound was really just for show. “Let’s say that could have happened, how exactly are we supposed to figure out where he even ran into the green mech? This is a dead, end, Shuuichi.”

He frowned at that, gaze flicking quickly over at the other to see him looking at the trees ahead of them with far too much excitement for his own words.

“You have an idea, then?”

“Of course I do! Did I never tell you about the times I went hunting with my estranged great-uncle twice removed?”

“I don't even know what kind of relative that would be, and I doubt you would know, either,” Shuuichi pointed out, corners of his mouth quirking upward as he looked down at the grinning boy as his expression suddenly shattered.

“A-Are you a-accusing me of, of m-making up my own g-great uncle t-thrice removed!?” Kokichi wailed out through fake tears.

Rather than feeling frustration with the act well up inside of him, Shuuichi was confused and surprised to find himself laughing in amusement at the other.

Apparently, the other hadn't expected such a reaction either, because his expression turned into pure, honest confusion for just a second before switching back into the offense it had shown before Shuuichi’s unexpected outburst. “And now you’re laughing at me! My beloved is so cruel!”

The detective struggled to gather himself again, and decided that even though he was certain that Kokichi was turning red from something other than anger when Shuuichi, he chose not to call him out on it. “I thought it was twice removed?”

Kokichi’s expression finally dropped back into something more playful. “Maybe I meant four times removed, relatives can be very confusing, you know!”

Shuuichi, having finally regained his thoughts and breath, suddenly remembered what exactly they were even doing out in the jungle together in the first place. “What was your plan again?”

“Well,” Kokichi slid across the dirt to stand in front of Shuuichi, a single finger raised as if he were about to give some kind of great speech with the mess of mud and overturned leaves scattered by his filthy sneakers. Briefly, Shuuichi realized how much he missed having clean shoes, but was pulled back to the island when the smaller boy continued on. “I actually happen to know a thing or two about tracking!”

“Amami didn't leave any footprints behind so far, why would they start now?”

“Silly detective, don't you understand that was only because the mech tore them up and left bigger tracks for us instead? All we have to do now is _actually_ track the wonderful avocado _without_ that stupid robot’s help.”

“Except I don't know how to do that. Even as a detective, I worked with my uncle in the city, and it’s not exactly like tracking where people go is the same between deserted islands and paved cities,” Shuuichi said.

Kokichi rolled his eyes, arms crossing as the other spoke. “I know that! Did I not say that I knew how to track?”

“That was… true?”

The smaller boy huffed at this before turning back toward that jungle. “Maybe, maybe not. And here I was thinking that the detective was finally learning how to do his job,” he muttered under his breath, barely audible to the embarrassed Shuuichi that moved to follow him.

After a few minutes of walking in what seemed like a random direction, Shuuichi was starting to think that he was right all along, and that the other’s claimed talent had, in fact, been another lie laid out to pull the detective along. His frustration must have been more obvious than he thought, though, because soon enough the smaller boy stopped and turned to face him.

“I’m only going to explain this once, and that’s it, so you’d better listen.” Shuuichi nodded slowly, and Kokichi pointed to the ground beneath them. “This island is humid. That means the dirt likes to be mud.”

“I’m not a six year old, you don't have to explain it like-“

“One time!” Kokichi cut him off. When Shuuichi snapped his mouth back shut, Kokichi gave a please hum and continued on. “Remember like, two minutes ago when I slid across the ground? What happened when I did? No dirt was kicked up, because the ground was too close to being mud for that. Instead, a few of the leaves on the ground were turned over by me hitting them.”

Shuuichi glanced to the ground around them when it finally clicked. “So if someone ran across the ground it would disturb the leaves, turning them so that the muddy side was the one facing upwards. We’re following the track of muddy leaves.”

Kokichi smiled widely at this. “Nice job, Mr. Detective! You caught on! Maybe next time we’ll be able to sue big boy words!” Shuuichi ahead then, teasingly pushing against the other boy as he passed him.

“Come on, then, we have a track to follow.”

Kokichi bound along behind him then. “Oh and one more thing!”

Shuuichi gave him a questioning look and was met with a smug grin.

“You were wrong, I don't actually know anything about tracking, I’m just clever.”

If Shuuichi wasn't mistaken, that would actually make him right, but the possibility that this was Kokichi’s way of giving him the win he deserved made him hold back on calling the other out on the subtle lie. “Then I’m glad we have you on the island to help us, Kokichi.”

The other didn't respond to that, and Shuuichi was suddenly filled with regret that he had been too forward when he heard a quiet thank you from behind him. The detective fought the urge to turn around, part of him wanting to make sure that the other boy was alright behind him, and the other part afraid that Kokichi would vanish as soon as he tried to look.

Perhaps Shuuichi could one day look to the other without that small worry in the back of his mind, but today wasn't that day, so he chose to let the other have the moment to himself.

Soon enough, though, Kokichi was back to his usual self, chattering on about everything and nothing while Shuuichi nodded along, trying his best to pull apart the truth from the tangle of lies as they followed the track beneath them.

* * *

After the two had walked along the muddied trail for a while, Shuuichi slowly drew to a stop, frantically looking across the ground around them for any further trail, only to find that the floor of the jungle around them from this point on was almost entirely undisturbed. 

Kokichi must have noticed too, because the other was uncharacteristically quiet.

“So, an actual dead end now?”

 _No. They did not walk all this way just for a dead end,_ Shuuichi silently fumed, trying to keep his growing irritation with the situation from showing. Behind him, Kokichi turned to look at the track they had progressed so far, seeming to compare the two carefully.

Meanwhile, Shuuichi took it up himself to continue on, walking a small distance around where the trail ended, hoping to find that it picked back up nearby. But his search was in vain, and Kokichi’s must have gone the same way, if his dark expression was anything to go by. 

“Maybe if we just-“

The sound of wood snapping shut Shuuichi up immediately, the two boys looking in the direction of the sound. _Did someone follow them out here? No,_ Shuuichi thought to himself. _They wouldn't sneak up like this, only Kokichi would do that and he’s already here._

They didn't have to wonder over the source for very long, though, because a mess of white stained brown with mud slowly formed in between of the trees, barely visible in the mess of undergrowth and tree trunks.

 _You again._ Shuuichi slowly took a single step backwards, refusing to look away from the source of the noise while still trying to remain silent in his attempted escape. When he noticed Kokichi not moving, he reached out, roughly grabbing the other by the arm and getting his attention.

The boy looked confused, unsure of what exactly was going on in the first place, and Shuuichi couldn't exactly blame him. It’s not like was there the during Shuuichi’s first encounter, and when he heard about the experience from the detective, he had been delirious from his concussion. But between his tense body language and desperate attempts to remain silent as he backed away, Kokichi must have caught on to Shuuichi’s need to get them away from whatever had caused the noise, even if the boy had no idea what it was in the first place.

Thankfully, this meant he caught on, keeping himself silent and slowly backing away with Shuuichi. As the two watched the shape through the trees, it shifted and moved about, slowly coming near, much to the detective’s worries. 

Somehow, they were getting away faster than it was getting nearer, much to their relief. and it was when a loud growly breath reached the two that Shuuichi finally breathed out the words loud enough to Kokichi to hear.

“Polar bear.”

Kokichi’s eyes widened at the statement, giving Shuuichi an absolutely confused look, confirming his suspicions that the other’s concussion had rendered him completely memory free when it came to the polar bear that had chased Shuuichi, Gonta, and Iruma way back before they had first discover the warehouse.

The animal continued to shuffle around through the trees as they tried to silently escape it. But at some point the bear must have caught wind of the two, as it seemed to be relentlessly following them rather than doing its own bear activities, whatever those would even be for a polar bear trapped on a tropical island. 

Kokichi suddenly stopped beside him, making Shuuichi draw in a panicked breath and hold it, anxious over what the other boy was even trying to do. He straightened back up next to him, stone from the ground held tightly in his hand.

_He isn't seriously going to throw that, is he?!_

He was.

Before Shuuichi could protest, Kokichi had pulled back his arm before launching the rock as far as he could, clattering loudly as it slammed into a tree trunk a fair distance into the jungle. The bear stopped sniffing around at the sound, large head swinging up into view as it looked in the direction of where the rock had collided with the tree.

For a few moments, nothing happened, and the boys held their breath as the waited, Shuuichi even considering begging Atua to help them when the bear began to make his way in the direction of the stone, opposite of the two boys.

Kokichi didn’t hesitate from then to snatch Shuuichi by the wrist, jerking him along as he led their quiet escape from the large animal. After a few minutes of trying their best to remain silent, the two broke into a sprint, putting as much distance as possible between themselves and the bear.

When Kokichi stumbled over flat ground was when they finally decided that they were far enough away, going to a panting stop.

“Why, is there, a fucking, polar bear?” Kokichi panted out between breaths.

Shuuichi waited until he caught his breath to even bother trying to answer that question. “It chased me before, when I was with Gonta and Iruma. And I have no idea. It’s like what Gonta pointed out when we first got here, about there being completely different bugs that don't belong in the same climate, it’s as if the island just doesn't care that it’s supposed to be tropical at all.”

“Yeah, no kidding. It’s a humid jungle here, but our camp is in a dry pine forest. There’s polar bears running through forests, and even the bugs don't belong here. What even _is_ this island?” Kokichi muttered bitterly. 

Shuuichi wanted to give some kind of answer, but fond himself disappointed when he realized he didn't have one. Nothing about this island made any sense. Even as he looked at what was around him, that stayed true. From the muddy ground covered in fallen leaves and tangled roots, to the way that some of the trees slanted at unnatural angles.

_Wait, what?_

Shuuichi spun around, looking at each tree carefully, and sure enough, a handful of the trunks were angled, _Almost like they were pushed aside._

But what could possibly be strong enough to do something like that? Trees like these, so healthy and undoubtedly extremely heavy could never bee so easily shoved aside.

“The green mech!” The words escaped him before he even realized he had found them to begin with. “I think we found our track again, Kokichi!”

Yes, this had to be it. The mechs were the only thing on this island capable of such strength. And on top of that, the trees appeared to be pushed apart from each other. “The jungle must have been too dense for the mech to get through, so it forced its way through by widening a path,” he thought aloud, Kokichi nodding along as he looked around at the ground for something the Shuuichi couldn't bring himself to particularly care about at the moment.

Maybe that polar bear was better luck than they first thought, seeing as running away from it helped them make important discoveries on the island between the warehouse and now the scene of where Amami was taken by the green mech.

“Hey, Shuuichi, don't you think something about this seems a little bit off?”

“Huh?” Shuuichi whirled around to face Kokichi, the smaller boy’s body tense as he glanced between the trees around them, eyes narrowed as if searching for something. “What do you mean?”

“Well for starters, why were the trees here gently pushed aside, and the ones by the blue mech violently torn out of the ground? And we already went over how running in the jungle kicks up muddy leaves, so _why aren’t there any muddy leaves here?_ ”

the detective was silent, unsure of what exactly he could say to any of that. He had been too caught up in the excitement over finding the scene at all to even pay attention to such glaringly obvious pieces of evidence around them. How could he even call himself a detective when he missed such basic information?

“I think we should go back to the blue mech, Shuu.” Kokichi interrupted his thoughts, voice holding an edge to it that made any ideas of trying to get him to stay to investigate more go right out the window. Before Shuuichi could ask what was wrong, the other was already walking back along the way that they had come, movements carrying an underlying jerkiness that rose even more red flags in the detective’s mind.

_What did you figure out, Kokichi?_

* * *

“Maybe if we just go over everything we know from the beginning, we’ll be able to uncover what happened to Amami,” the detective said. Kokichi didn't argue against the idea, much to his relief, and so Shuuichi continued on to recount the major evidence that they had collected throughout the day’s investigation. 

“We already know that at some point in fleeing from the blue mech, Kaede and Amami split up, and the mech chose to follow Amami. In the process, the ground and trees in the mech’s path were torn up. At some point, though, the mech stopped chasing Amami and doubled back until stopping in the clearing where found it. Meanwhile, Amami didn't stop running for a while, until he eventually slowed to a walk that didn't kick up muddy leaves. At some point while he was walking, he was taken by the green mech.

“But it still just doesn't make sense,” Shuuichi let out a long groan overflowing with frustration. “The green mech didn't damage the forest like the blue one did, so it obviously didn't chase Amami at any point. And Amami wasn't exactly out of shape, so it just wouldn't make sense for him to be so exhausted that he couldn't at least try to run a second time after having such a long break between where the first chase ended and the second encounter took place. So what could have possibly happened that let the green mech capture him so easily!?”

It was like with the red mech all over again. Shuuichi knew he was missing something, the final piece of the puzzle, and that once he found it, the truth would be brought forward, and they would understand what happened to Amami. But it felt more like the piece had been taken out of the box, torn apart, and thrown away, entirely out of his reach.

“Well what if we looked backwards,” Kokichi suggested, earning a confused look from the detective. “Was there anything weird about the green mech when you found it?”

That was right, Kokichi hadn't been one of the three to go down and check out the mech when they had found it at the bottom of the chasm. But now that he was thinking about it, there was something about the discovery that had rubbed Shuuichi the wrong way even when he first noticed it.

“Camouflage. The mech had leaves and vines thrown across it as if it were trying to blend in to the bottom of the chasm. But there wasn't actually that much plant growth around it, which meant that the act was either rushed or simply ill planned. Or really both would be completely possible.”

But that was just another piece that he didn't even notice was missing placed along the edge of the puzzle, the center still missing, the full picture of what had happened remained completely unknown to them.

Somehow, Shuuichi had the feeling that he wouldn't like whatever it was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im blaming the gap between updates on the fact that ive gone from about a decade of drinking minimum of four cans of soda per day to completely cutting myself off starting three weeks ago and promptly learning that caffeine withdrawals are a thing that exist
> 
> also hopefully this chapter doesnt seem,, choppy given that ive been writing it like the whole time since my last update but have hardly gotten anything out each time ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> ANYWAYS im gonna try to get back into a consistent posting schedule again now that im getting past the worst of the caffeine cut off stuff :D


	18. Chapter 18

Shuuichi hadn't been sleeping enough since their investigation into Akamatsu and Amami’s disappearance. And without a doubt it came from the stress of not being able to figure out what happened to his friend. He also refused to acknowledge that was even happening, which meant depraving himself of sleep even more. It didn't exactly take a professional detective to figure that one out.

And that was never more obvious than in Shuuichi, the most oblivious detective that ever existed, himself refusing to accept that he needed some kind of distraction.

That was where Kokichi came in. As supreme leader of the group, whether they accepted it or not, it was his job to keep his subordinates at their best so that they could escape the island with the least amount of possible harm done. Well, alright, maybe he wasn't everyone’s leader, but maybe Shuuichi.

_I’m pretty sure he’s actually leading me more than the other way around…_

Whatever. Maybe he should just leave the other be, have the detective handle himself. But the mere thought of seeing Shuuichi looking so distracted and exhausted was enough to make the small boy shiver in displeasure. 

Fine then, maybe he could try to do _something_ about it. At this point, he was tempted to do just about anything to cheer the guy up. He knew it was selfish to do so just to keep himself from worrying about the other, but Kokichi was no stranger to acting selfishly, and besides this time it would actually benefit someone else, too. Maybe even more than just him, seeing as his mood was even starting to bring down a few of the others around him.

In fact, even though it had only been two days since they stumbled across such confusing evidence, Shuuichi’s sour mood seemed to even spread to the obnoxious, loud, embodiment of optimism itself, seeing as even Momota had stopped being as vocal about his hopes of getting of the island in the next fifteen minutes. And while he was more than alright with that idiot finally shutting the fuck up, he hadn't wanted it to come at the expense of Shuuichi losing that spark in his eyes that Kokichi had only gotten to witness a few times. Because even those few times, in finding Amami, in making the plan for the cabins, in the times when the island seemed bearable, were enough to get Kokichi addicted, determined to bring out that raw excitement.

But over the past few days, it seemed he wouldn't be getting another fix of such a relaxed and open Shuuichi. Hell, even the news that the ship was less than a week from completion, that in a couple days all it would would be testing to make sure it would hold up in the sea wasn't enough to shake the detective from his funk.

And maybe some part of Kokichi was starting to get genuinely worried for Shuuichi, but he was sure to push that part of himself as far away as he could. Sure, his mind kept going back to the underground tunnels and how unexpected, although perhaps more than a little welcomed, Shuuichi’s actions were. But that wasn't why he was so determined to help the other.

Besides, he was starting to get to comfortable around the other, and there was no way that would go anywhere short of disastrous. In fact it would probably be best for him to leave the other alone for good, to let the space idiot and piano freak cheer him up.

But it had been three days, and so far they were proving to be quite terrible at their job.

And Kokichi was still selfish.

So Kokichi was going to wait by that gigantic, dumb, naive, unpredictable, exciting detective’s door until he got his ass out of his room. Even if he had to wait there all day, which, if the past few days of the detective sealing himself away to think and overwork himself trying to figure out what could have happened to Amami all that time ago until someone physically dragged him out to make him eat and socialize, Kokichi would be waiting for a while.

Fortunately for him, his selfishness was not his only positive quality. He was _also_ a stubborn piece of shit when he wanted to be.

Which is how Kokichi found himself sitting with his back to Shuuichi’s door all morning, the only distraction from the hours of nothing interesting happening being his own thoughts of the investigation and wondering if it could have anything to do with the two remaining numbers from their sequence.

Fifteen, five, how did the mech capture Amami with no signs of struggle.

Why did Amami _still_ have to be barely conscious on the rare occasions that he woke from his rest?

Why couldn't he answer questions about what had happened in those times?

Why did he have to claim he couldn't remember what had happened the one time he actually understood what Kokichi was asking?

Why did it have to be so hypocritical for Kokichi to feel so annoyed with the other’s memory loss when he couldn't even remember how he fell through that roof.

Kokichi was broken away from his questions by the sound of footsteps in the room behind him. Quickly, the boy sprang to his feet, dusting off the dirt and dust that had collected on his clothes where he sat for the past… _Seriously? Four hours?_ He crammed the watch back into his jacket pocket when he heard the telltale creaking of the door about to open. 

When the door swung open, he was met with an exhausted Shuuichi who stared blankly at Kokichi for a few moments before his eyes widened in surprise.

 _He’s too stressed and sleep deprived to even be jumpy,_ he noted bitterly, working to keep the casual grin on his face while he internally seethed over the observation.

Seriously, Shuuichi was going to kill himself if he kept up like this. Kokichi knew he was managing to somehow be selfish, stubborn, _and_ hypocritical in his plans for the day, but he was going to fucking drag the detective away from the cabins and away from anything that could makes him stressed in the slightest if he had to. He just looked so… broken down, and if there was one thing Kokichi couldn't stand, it was when things that belonged to him were broken.

Not that Shuuichi belonged to him or anything. _Oh wait he’s been talking and I’ve just been staring at him the whole time._

“—That’s why I think it would be a good idea for us to—“

“Anyways!” Kokichi cut him off, not needing to have paid attention to anything Shuuichi had said to know that he was about to say something to the effect of investigating even more than he already had. “I have better plans for the day!”

“Kokichi, please,” there it was again, that god damned first name. Kokichi still swore his undying hatred of how it did exactly what Shuuichi wanted it to do, making him stop talking and grow ever tempted into just listening to the others melodic, almost feminine voice if that meant he’d get to hear it being said again.

_Oh my god, Kokichi, get over yourself!_

Oh he was talking again.

“If we go back to the place where the green mech found Amami, then we might be able to find something we didn't notice before!”

No, no, no. They had spent _hours_ searching the scene, and Kokichi would know, given he’s the only one who seemed to have the idea of using something to keep time on this entire island. How the rest of the group was surviving at this point, he didn’t even understand.

Shuuichi would probably say it was because of trust and teamwork or whatever. Kokichi was inclined to disagree and point out that it could not be more clear that they didn't actually trust each other, but that they loved the idea of being able to each other enough to lull themselves into a false sense of security.

One day, something would happen, Kokichi just knew it. Something was too wrong about everything, and he as starting to think of it in terms of Amami’s peculiar capture, and he almost blurted out as much as Shuuichi kept talking about how they needed to keep investigating, but the thought of forcing the other even deeper into his isolation kept him silent.

How Shuuichi was still talking, even Kokichi, the master of providing full essays to answer yes or no questions, was starting to wonder where he was even pulling the words from.

“I know I cant go alone given everything that’s happened on the island, so please, just come with me. I have no doubt the there’s something we missed. I even think there might have been something else about the trees that we didn't realize last time, and if we go back, I can confirm it, w-which could m-mean, please stop glaring at me like that…”

Kokichi took in a deep breath, not even realizing he had been glaring but refusing to break eye contact with Shuuichi when the detective accidentally made it during his plea. “We are not going back. You and I both know that your new _theory_ about the trees is just an excuse, and Shuuichi, if you reach any higher, you’ll be on top of Everest. Your letting this investigation, that you assigned to yourself, I’d like to add, consume you, and you’re refusing to even see that much be use you’re too busy trying to see evidence that isn't even there. And none of that is a lie, so today, if I hear you say _one more thing_ about that god damned investigation or even those fucking trees, I will have you assassinated on the spot.”

Shuuichi looked like he was going to argue for a moment, mouth opening and closing over and over as his eyes left Kokichi’s frantically scanning the hall as if he would find some excuse for further investigating in the floorboard, but relented with a dejected sigh.

“Alright,” the detective said, so quiet Kokichi might’ve missed it if he hadn't seen the movement of Shuuichi’s lips as he bit out the word. 

Kokichi nodded triumphantly at the reluctant acceptance. At least it was something.

“Good! Then I hope you're ready for the most relaxing day of your life!”

“We’re still stranded on an island, I really don't think anything that could happen would count as being that relaxing,” Shuuichi pointed out, making Kokichi huff in annoyance.

“Not with that attitude! But lucky for you, I haven't been sitting around in my room all day like some emo middle schooler, and have actually been hard at work.”

Shuuichi seemed interested by the admission, and Kokichi wished he had a camera or that his phone at least had any battery on it so that he could take a picture to solidify the look of open curiosity that the other wore in his memory.

“Is it about the ship?”

“Nope!”

Shuuichi just looked plain confused now, and it took everything in Kokichi to hold back the blush that threatened to form at the adorable expression that crossed over the detective.

“Is it about… the investigation?” He guessed, and the hopeful look in his eyes was more than enough to kill the blush that Kokichi had been fighting against.

“ _I swear to fucking—_ ”

“Just kidding!” Shuuichi squeaked out, trying his best to backpedal away from the topic.

“Is it about the warehouse and tunnels, then?”

“You’re really bad at guessing, you know that?”

Shuuichi made an exasperated noise at this response. “Those are the only places on the island that we’ve seen! Unless you want to go find the polar bear again, in which case, please can we do something else?”

“Well, I guess it’s just going to have to be a surprise then.”

“What? No, please don't make it a surprise,” Shuuichi groaned out.

“Alright, then you get one more guess,” Kokichi grinned up at the other boy.

Shuuichi seemed to be seriously thinking over his next guess until he spoke back up. “The chasm?”

“Wow! How’d you know! You really are an amazing detective!” Kokichi exclaimed over enthusiastically, grabbing Shuuichi by both hands and pulling him away from the threshold of his room while he was too distracted by Kokichi’s sudden burst of energy to fight back against it.

“Why do I feel like that’s a lie…”

* * *

In all honesty, Kokichi didn't actually have anything planned, not that he’d let Shuuichi know that.

So the two simply wandered aimlessly through the trees, the smaller boy leading the way and filling the silence with endless rambling. He wasn't even sure what he was talking about at this point, but it apparently didn't even matter as the detective still seemed to be distracted by his own thoughts. 

_There has to be_ something _that I can say to distract him,_ Kokichi thought frustratedly.

He had already tried telling an exciting story, albeit completely made up, but it just wasn't enough to get through to him. If he could just figure out Shuuichi’s sense of humor, he could figure out how to distract him and pull him back out of his own thoughts!

“Knock knock,” he tried, only to be met with an unimpressed glare.

“Fine fine, sheesh.”

Alright, so that plan was a bust. Kokichi tried again, trying to think of a different way he could address the other and break him back out of his shell for the day at least.

But he was broken from his thoughts when he tripped over a root, sending him crashing into a mostly white tree trunk that left him groaning in more embarrassment than anything else. The act was clearly enough to worry Shuuichi, though, seeing as the detective was frantically trying to help Kokichi back up, reaching out a hand for him to grab.

Instead of accepting the hand, Kokichi reached to high five the other, effectively smacking his hand away with a grin. There was no way he was letting the other stress over something as stupid as him tripping over a root.

“Are you alright?”

Before answering, Kokichi went to stand back up, but stopped as he saw the sticky liquid seeping from where he hit the tree.

His grin must have grown when he realized what the slick, amber colored substance was, if Shuuichi’s suddenly cautious expression was anything to go by.

“Hey Shumai, did you know that you can be a huge _sap_ sometimes?”

This was met with a tight expression and wary glare from the detective.

_No way._

“Even when I act like a bit of a _birch_ ”

“The other one was better,” Shuuichi said with a straight face, reaching back down to grab Kokichi by the arm to pull him back up.

“Alright, I’m gonna go on a bit of a _limb_ here and guess that you’d rather me _leaf_ you alone right now,” the smaller boy said, pulling a branch down and practically shoving a mess a mass of leaves in the detective’s face. 

“Oh my god,” Shuuichi yelped, jumping back with a laugh that he tried to cover with a loud cough. The taller boy reach towards his hair, seeming to expect to reach his hat before remembering that it was still perched on Kokichi’s own head. 

“Or maybe your just _green_ with envy,” Kokichi said, plucking one of said leaves and offering it to the detective.

For a moment, the other just stared at the object through a narrowed gaze before finally responding to Kokichi’s antics.

“You really think these terrible jokes are going to _stick_ , but I feel like your _bark_ is probably way worse than your bite.”

Kokichi’s grin dropped and was replaced with complete surprise at the detective before he could mask it. Shuuichi looked at him in surprise, and Kokichi couldn’t help but feel that the red one the detective’s face should be there as much as absolutely possible. 

Not that Kokichi was that attached to him or anything.

Nope. Not at all.

Without turning around, Kokichi started leading the way again, walking backwards as he tried to figure out his next joke. He was interrupted, though, when he stumbled again. Trying to keep from falling to the ground again, the boy tried to counter the movement and shifted his weight forward, regretting the action immediately, seeing as it just sent him face first into a certain detective’s chest. 

“Heh, I guess I fell for you.”

“You don’t have to literally hit on me.”

They both spoke at the same time, each freezing as soon as the words left them. 

_Abort. Abort. Abort._

Kokichi tried to push his himself away from Shuuichi, but didn’t get very far before something pulled at his waist, holding him in place. 

“Uh...”

“Hey, Kokichi.”

 _No. No. No. Shut up, Shuuichi._ It felt like time was slowing down, but not in a good way. Kokichi knee that tone, and that it meant that whatever was about to follow was going to be something serious, and he was not here for that. 

The smaller boy quickly looked around them, desperate for something, _anything_ to change the topic to. 

He wasn’t sure if it was a blessing or a curse when he caught sight of a bright gleam in the distance. 

“What are-“

“What’s that!?” Kokichi blurted out, internally cringing at how loud his voice came out. 

“Kokichi, please don’t try to change the topic, we need to talk about-“

“No, really, Shuuichi. What _is_ that?”

This finally worked, the detective giving in to look in the direction that Kokichi took it upon himself to point in. When he did, he seemed to tense up, suddenly alert. 

Without another word, he started to make his way over towards the source, the smaller boy following close behind through the close growing trees until they reached a mass of silver that was growing way too familiar, in Kokichi’s opinion. 

But seeing the fourth mess of metal and cables nearly confirmed a growing suspicion of the boy’s, but he wasn’t ready yet. He couldn’t know for sure until it was proven clearly, but he was starting to think he might have a guess of how many mechs this island had hidden on it. 

“Kokichi come look at this,” Shuuichi beckoned him closer to where he crouched on the other side of the mech, examining it. “The other mechs has some kind of fuel here, I’m pretty sure Iruma said it was gasoline, but the tank is completely... gone.”

The smaller boy ran over, curiosity piqued, and sure enough, the mech was missing a large part that the blue one had seen most definitely had. 

“What do you think could’ve happened, then?” Kokichi asked the detective. He wouldn’t admit it, but he wasn’t exactly sure what he was supposed to make out of the discovery and was hoping that the other would give him an idea to go off of. 

“There you two are!” Kokichi whirled around and Shuuichi straightened up behind him as Chabashira, Shirogane, and Kiibo ran over to them. 

“You two degenerates have some explaining to do!”

“Another one!?”

“W-What’s going on?” Shuuichi asked. 

The other three looked at each other, silently sharing a conversation between them before Kiibo gave a nervous nod and spoke up.

“It’s about the ship...” but the boy seemed oddly distracted, and Kokichi realized a little too late that he was still wearing Shuuichi’s hat. 

“Someone lit it on fire, and don’t think Tenko is letting you two males off the hook just because you’re pretending to be so confused right now! Your little act proves nothing!”

Kokichi didn’t have to ask Shuuichi to know that he had realized the same thing that the shorter had in that moment. He just had to glance over in time to see the detective’s eyes turn to the place where the fourth mech’s fuel tank once was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> listen i was fuckin RACING to finish this today so i could use april fool’s day as an excuse for all those puns
> 
> also changing to kokichi’s perspective every now and then is a fun break from our local emotionally repressed detective boy


	19. Chapter 19

To say that the ship was beyond repair was an understatement. By the time that Shuuichi had reached the boat, the flames had already been extinguished, buried and suffocated under sand thrown atop it following Iruma’s instruction.

While the inventor’s guidance succeeded in eliminating the threat to the boat and to the people around it on the beach, it still wasn't enough, as by the time the fire was put out, the wood had already been charred and broken to the point where Shuuichi didn't think he would even know it was a ship if he hadn't seen it just a few days ago. Staring across the beach, the detective just wanted to know _why_.

Why would something like this would happen, when they were so close to getting away from this island? How could anyone think to do something like this?

And When did he accept that maybe Kokichi was right not to trust the rest of the group, that without a doubt, from what they already knew of this disastrous event, there was no way this was an accident.

Someone on this island had to have done this to them, that much was painfully obvious. And unless they were going to suddenly run into some random stranger on this island that had some kind of vendetta against a bunch of total strangers, it had been one of the other people gathered around the remains of the ship. The people that Shuuichi called his friends, despite all of the risks that would come with when trapped on a deserted island.

And out of everyone there, as far as Shuuichi knew, the only two that were cleared of suspicion were himself and Kokichi. Which just left fourteen frightened and confused survivors left, none of which the detective could even imagine doing something so cruel to the rest of them.

And judging by the rest of the group’s expressions, they had realized the same upsetting truth that Shuuichi had, each making the observation that they were the only one that each of them knew was innocent beyond a reasonable doubt.

“Who would do something so…” Shirogane’s voice trailed away as she stared at the remains of the burnt ship, expression giving away the confusion and fear that Shuuichi shared.

The silence that followed stretched on, no one wanting to be the first to break it, the first to finish Shirogane’s thought, the first to acknowledge what had happened. The detective was tempted to follow suit, but something about the scene around him, in the lost and frightened faces of his friends, in the scent of smoke drifting around them, in the uninterrupted buzz of jungle life meeting crashing waves, in the stillness of it all, made Shuuichi finally decide that he was done.

Done with the stagnation, done with letting these things happen to them, done in giving up. Shuuichi was no leader, he knew that down to his core, even if the others tried to look at him as if he were.

But he was a detective, and right now, that was what they needed.

Someone who could figure out the island, how they crashed there, why there’s polar bears and mechs, why Kaede and Amami were taken from them and pushed to the brink of death, why every last attempt they made toward leaving the island was met with such powerful resistance.

“We need to figure out who did this,” Shuuichi started, fighting to keep from shying away from the group’s attention when it was all turned on him. “Until we can do that, any other way we could make to get off the island could be treated the same way as this ship was.”

This seemed to at least get the group grounded again now that they had a clear goal, most of the shock over the sudden loss of their way out of there was fading away.

“Then it’s a good thing my sidekick’s a detective, isn't it!” Kaito practically shouted, pulling Shuuichi into a side hug as he kept on. “Once we figure out who did this, nothing will stand in our way of getting back home.”

“Kaito is right, at least a little. Just tell us what to do and we’ll do it, Shuuichi,” Maki said, earning a few nods of agreement from the rest of the group.

“O-Oh,” Shuuichi definitely wasn't expecting that to go over so well, but it made sense when he thought about it that the rest of the group would be just as desperate as he was to trust in his detective skills now. He just hoped they wouldn't regret it later. “It would probably be best if we split up work investigating the ship itself, and whoever’s not doing that can give their… alibi.”

Shuuichi cringed at the use of such a technical word, still trying to avoid the severity of the situation as the group seemed to agree with this idea.

“I believe it would be best if everyone investigated in groups,” Kaede said. “That way we can make sure that whoever did this can’t use the investigation to cover their tracks.”

“We should use groups of three or more, too,” Kokichi perked up. “If we don't know who did this, then we also can’t say for sure whether they had an accomplice or not, but if we use a bigger group, they’d be less likely to get away with anything else. Or, of course, we could just let this whole thing be a free for all, and we can just let the culprit keep doing this! It’d definitely make this island more exciting!”

“Shut up, already! We’re going to find the culprit and we’re going to get off this island! Besides, you’re probably just saying that because it was you who started the fire, wasn't it?” Kaito accused, and soon enough, more accusations began to fly between the group.

Soon enough all he could even hear on that beach that still smelled of smoke and burnt wood was Kaito and Kokichi blaming each other, Maki silently fuming over the arguing, Hoshi grumbling about how this was bound to happen eventually, Korekiyo and Angie each being accused by an unsettled Himiko and an angry Chabashira respectively while doing nothing to actually defend themselves. In other words, the exact opposite of what the group needed right then, with Kokichi looking far too pleased with himself over starting the chaos by baiting Kaito.

It did make him realize something important, though, something that was probably the complete opposite of whatever it was Kokichi was trying to prove by sending the group into paranoid dissension.

For as long as the group was divided, they would never accomplish a single thing. And the mistrust that Kokichi seemed to be trying to prove to Shuuichi would protect them was the root cause oft the problems and dangers that faced them now as they continued to argue endlessly.

The only thing that would be able to bring the group back together, even if there was a traitor among them, was trust in each other. Trust that they would get off this island, all alive, through cooperation, teamwork, and faith in one another.

The first step, though, was absolutely going to be getting the group to just stop with the baseless accusations as soon as possible. Shuuichi cleared his throat and tried his best to get everyone’s attention with a shout for it, but was met with nothing, the group continuing on as if he hadn't spoken up at all.

He decided to try again, this time louder, but as he shouted for the group to quiet, his voice was clearly not ready to be so loud for the first time that he could even remember him ever needing to be, and instead broke halfway through the word. He wasn't sure if he was grateful or not that no one heard him, seeing as they simply continued on, but that also meant no one had caught onto that embarrassing moment, so Shuuichi figured he’d might as well accept the small victory in a downpour of losses.

A giggle a few feet away from him made him realize that he shouldn't have counted the victory so soon. Off to the side, Kokichi had stopped bickering with Kaito while the other continued to try and fight with him, and instead was looking at Shuuichi with amusement.

The detective simply glared back, too frustrated with Kokichi at the moment for starting this group wide fight in the first place to feel flustered.

The other boy must have been able to tell that Shuuichi was not the happiest person on the planet at the moment when his glare remained longer than a few seconds, and the smaller boy instead turned his attention back to Kaito with a frown, saying something and interrupting the already irate astronaut in training. At first the other seemed even more angry at the other, but paused and gave Shuuichi a glance before looking back across the group again.

Kaito pushed his way past Kokichi, or at least tried to, seeing as the smaller boy simply moved out of the older boy’s way with ease, and walked over to Shuuichi.

“I’m sorry for starting this whole fight, bro, but that little gremlin was just asking for it! He definitely did this, I just know it,” he gave Kokichi a loathsome look as he spoke, the smaller boy grinning widely and waving at the two before his hand was stopped mid-wave by Maki’s hand gripping it as she said something to the small boy that was most likely a form of death threat.

“You don't have to apologize, Kaito, you didn't start this, everyone was so stressed about what happened, so something like this was going to happen eventually,” Shuuichi tried, but the other shook his head stubbornly. The detective didn't mention that him throwing the first accusation definitely hadn't helped tensions. “But I know it wasn't Kokichi.”

“Come on, Shuuichi, you know how troublesome he is,” Kaito pointed out, but now it was Shuuichi’s turn to shake his head.

“No, he was with me all day, it wouldn't have been possible for him to do this. But I think it would be best if we collected information on what everyone from the group was doing today, and if we can figure out who’s alibi falls through, then we’ll know who set the ship on fire.”

“And then we can figure out _why_ ,” Kaito said, running his fists into each other as he spoke. “Alright, then, sidekick, you’re the detective here, so just guide me, the hero, and we’ll have this mystery solved in no time!”

 _We can do this. I can do this,_ Shuuichi thought to himself as he agreed to the plan. All they had to do from here was figure out who had the time to find the yellow mech, the knowledge to remove its fuel tank, and the chance to use it to burn own the ship. And maybe, just maybe, they could use that knowledge to find out their motive, too.

* * *

By the time they started their investigation, between Kaito and Shuuichi, four members of the group were left accounted for.

Kaito had explained that he was first spending time with Kaede in the day, and while Shuuichi had a suspicion he knew why, given that the two of them had been the ones to drag him out of the cabins while he was busy trying to figure out more information regarding the green mech, but the last thing he wanted to do was confront the topic. After that, Kaito had spent the day with Maki until they saw smoke rising from the beach where the ship was. From there, they had split up, Maki rushing to the ship itself while Kaito went to alert as much of the group as he could until everyone was aware of what was going on.

Shuuichi had then explained that Kokichi had pulled him from his room and that he spent the rest of the day with him after that until Chabashira, Shirogane, and Kiibo had found them. With that out of the way, he went on to tell Kaito about the discovery of the fourth mech, and how it was missing its fuel tank when they found it. The astronaut agreed with the theory that the fuel was most likely used in the burning of the ship, but they decided that they couldn't be entirely sure until they gave the charred remains of the ships a closer look. And there was no way that the hardly even conscious Amami could have done this.

From there, the two had gone from individual to individual, starting with Maki and Kokichi. The former explained that she had been exploring the underground tunnels by herself until she spent time with Kaito, and the latter seemed determined to avoid admitting to just sitting outside of Shuuichi’s door all morning until he detective forced the admission out of the smaller boy.

With that, they had decided to go to Kaede next, asking what she had done after spending time with Kaito in the morning.

“I was going to help with… the ship, but Kirumi wouldn't let me, she seemed really worried that I was still too injured from what happened with the blue mech and that I’d just hurt myself more if I wasn't careful. So then we spent the rest of the day together until Kaito told us what was happening. In fact he could probably back that up, seeing as he found us, right?”

Kaito nodded at that when Shuuichi gave him a questioning glance.

“Thank you, Kaede, it really means a lot,” Shuuichi responded in earnest. “Do you know where we can find Tojo? We should probably ask her what else she was doing before spending time with you, just to be sure.”

“Of course! I think she went back to the cabins with a few other people, they were saying something about looking for evidence back there I think.”

“Awesome! That way we can ask all of them together!” Kaito cheered.

Shuuichi didn't want to tell him that interviewing multiple people at once was a bad idea because it gave them a chance to lie about their alibi, so he kept his mouth shut and instead nodded in agreement with the idea. Besides, they would need to ask each of those people anyways.

* * *

“My morning was spent with Amami under my care,” Tojo had said when they asked. “He’s beginning to regain lucidity and needs someone with him at all times to prevent any unnecessary harm he may bring upon himself in the event that he panics upon fully awakening.”

So Tojo could be crossed off the list of suspects, then.

* * *

“Nyeh, do I have to talk about my day?”

“How dare you accuse her of something so crude!”

Shuuichi was starting to feel like he shouldn't have taken the others’ cooperativeness for granted now as he tried to get any kind of answer from Himiko and Chabashira. First, he had tried to ask the small magician for her alibi, but when she showed reluctance to explain herself, Chabashira had left to her defense, or rather, offense.

“Please, we’re asking everyone, we just need to be safe,” Shuuichi pleaded.

Why did Kaito have to decide that then would be a good time to split up so that he could go ask Gonta about his day.

“And why should we trust someone like _you_!?”

Ah right, because if more than one guy were to try and ask Chabashira for her alibi, they would never get anything out of her.

“Oh well… it’s not too big of deal, but I was taking a nap before Tojo woke me up. And before that I was showing Tenko and Gonta some of my magic.” Himiko finally explained, making Chabashira huff as she continued to stare down Shuuichi, making the detective inch backwards subconsciously.

“Fine, if Yumeno trusts you enough to tell you, then Tenko will tell you, too. But don't think this means I trust you or anything! You are only a slightly better than the other men here is all.” Shuuichi supposed he should just take what he could get right then, so he nodded in understanding and waited patiently for the other to tell him what he needed to know. “After watching Yumeno’s magic, Tenko went on a walk with Shirogane, and then Kiibo found us and was yelling about the fire and how you and that little purple degenerate were still missing, so we went to find you before going back to the ship.”

“I forgot to say thanks, by the way, f-for find us I mean! If you three hadn't done that, we would've had no idea that anything was even happening.”

Chabashira looked an odd mix of flustered and annoyed by the detective, crossing her arms and tensing. “Yeah, well, it wasn't even Tenko’s idea to find you two males, but you're welcome I guess.”

“Oh, well either way, you still didn't have to, so still thank you…” Shuuichi trailed off, now looking for a way out of how quickly the conversation was becoming.

His saving grace came in the form of Kaito coming back from talking with Gonta. “It’s probably not that much of surprise, but Gonta’s in the clear. I’m sure you already heard that he spent his morning with Himiko and Chabashira, and after that he was with Kiibo. When Tojo found them, Gonta went back with her and Kiibo went to tell anyone else he could find.”

* * *

The next stop on Kaito and Shuuichi’s investigation was in the warehouse where Iruma and Kiibo were searching for any signs that the building or the times had been tampered with since they last saw it.

When asked separately, they had both described their morning similarly. Iruma explaining that she had waited for Kiibo to wake for the day before asking if they could go check out the blue mech again, saying that she had a new theory. Meanwhile, Kiibo had described waking up to a yelling Iruma, being pulled from his room rather aggressively, and Iruma shouting something about robots and planes as she dragged him to the blue mech.

“After a while, that virgin went to go get his dick sucked or whatever, and I stayed behind with the mech. I was alone, but he can confirm that more work was done to the robot after he fucked off to who knows where.” Iruma finished.

Shuuichi looked past her as he muttered a quick, “Thank you,” looking to where Kaito was still talking to the white haired boy. When he caught his eye, the other gave him a smile and a thumbs up.

_So it’s not either of them._

This was good. This meant they were narrowing down their list of suspects. But it seemed to be going too well at this point, and the possibility that the plan to search for a false alibi would fall through at this rate, and no one would stand out to the detective and astronaut.

No, he couldn't think like that now. He had to trust that one of them would come forward, voluntarily or not, as the true culprit behind what had been going on.

His mind decided that would be a good time to remind him of the still unsolved capture of Amami, and how no clear answer had been found on that case yet, either.

A small part of him considered that the two were connected, but he squashed it down as soon as it showed up. Setting the ship on fire was one thing, attacking and almost killing not on, but two of them was something else entirely. Besides, it didn't make sense that another person from their group would be behind what happened to Amami. From what they had seen, the only two ways that the mechs ran was on an artificial intelligence style of piloting and through someone filling the space in the cockpit that they had found Amami in. And for someone to simultaneously pilot the mech _and_ trap the green haired boy in the mech was simply impossible given the fact that the cockpits hardly even had enough room for the boy alone.

“Yo, Shuuichi, you ready to find the next group to interview?” Kaito asked, shaking him from his thoughts.

“Right, yeah, let’s go.”

Their list was quickly shortening, the only remaining survivors that they had left to question being Hoshi, Shirogane, Korekiyo, and Angie.

* * *

“Korekiyo was following me around all morning, but at some point he must have gotten bored because he left.” Hoshi grumbled, pulling at his hat as he did.

“What about after that?”

“Nothing. I was by myself.”

“Who told you about the fire?”

“No one, I saw the smoke myself.”

Shuuichi frowned. He should've figured that Hoshi would be a dead end by his nature alone, but so far he was the first of the group to have such a… lacking alibi.

“Do you know where Kiyo went after he was with you?”

“No idea.”

“Do you know where he is now?”

“Pretty sure he said something about looking at the ship and then he disappeared.”

“You were there when we agreed that no one would investigate alone, right?” Kaito finally chimed in.

“I’m not alone right now, you two are interrogating me.” Shuuichi cringed at the term, still wanting to avoid treating this situation so formally. He figured he should point out that by being alone, Hoshi was just making himself seem even more suspicious than he already did with such a flimsy alibi, but he was pretty sure that the other already knew.

“Stay safe, then, we’ll see you later, Hoshi,” he said instead.

* * *

Back at the beach, they had found that most of the group had already regathered, including the final three survivors that they had left to ask.

“Shirogane!” Shuuichi called out to the blue haired girl as she looked closely at the charred ship, pointing out what the detective figured was probably things that the girl probably consider evidence to Maki as they investigated together. A few feet away, Korekiyo stood and watched the two closely while Angie rambled on about how the group was not to worry and that her Atua would show the truth of the case when the time was right.

“Hello, Shuuichi, Kaito! You two are collecting alibis, right?”

The detective nodded. “What can you tell us about what you were doing before the fire and how you found out about it?”

“Well, I was with Angie in the morning, but she started asking for blood for a sacrifice to help with her art, so I decided it would be best to find something else to do. Then I ran into Chabashira and we decided to go on a walk through the jungle for a bit until Kiibo found us and told us that there was a fire and you and Kokichi were the only two still unaccounted for, so we went to find you.”

Which matched flawlessly with Chabashira and Kiibo’s accounts. “Thank you, Shirogane.”

“Oh, Angie would like to answer next!” The girl practically bounced over to the group. “Angie was speaking with Atua all day, and He may account for me. But if you need a second witness, Shirogane was with Angie as well. After she left, Angie was very focused in her art, though, and did not notice that anything was wrong until Atua told her through Korekiyo.”

Shuuichi looked over to the masked boy who looked a little irritated at the way the story was told, but nodded along nonetheless. “The morning was spent in Hoshi’s company. However, I then found Angie working on her art, although she may not have noticed me until she was interrupted to be warned of the fire on the beach.”

Which wrapped up the alibis. 

With no clear culprit.

Shuuichi realized then that this investigation was going to be more difficult than he originally thought. Whoever had done this was clever, and knew how to hide their tracks. But the group was counting on him, and he needed to get to the bottom of this, no matter how difficult the mystery may prove to be.

“What were you looking at a moment ago?” Shuuichi asked, hoping that at least the physical evidence would provide some kind of break.

“Harukawa found this in the sand by the ship,” Shirogane explained, holding up a skinny, burnt stick for Shuuichi to see.

The detective reached forward, taking the match from the girl. If there had been any doubt before as to whether or not it was one of them who started the fire, it was gone now. The match was simply too small and fragile for a mech to use with any results anywhere near success. But now, with consistent alibis and nearly no evidence, Shuuichi was going to have to figure out who had done this, and whatever the group decided would be treated as truth, correct or not.

Not that he was feeling pressured by such high stakes, clearly.

He could totally handle this.

“So, Shumai, did my favorite detective crack the case yet?” Kokichi’s voice sounded loud and right next to Shuuichi’s ear, making the detective jump in surprise.

“Wasn’t I your second favorite?”

Kokichi hummed to himself. “That may have been a lie.”

A muted, yet nothing short of high pitched, sound reminded the pair of their company. Shuuichi coughed uncomfortably as the source of the sound, a much too excited looking Shirogane, took in a deep breath and opened her mouth to speak.

“So you found a puny stick then?” Kokichi cut her off before he could even begin, and Shuuichi silently thanked Angie’s weird god for the change in topic.

Shirogane looked disappointed, but Shuuichi answered before she could call out the obvious avoidance of whatever it was she was about to say. “Yeah, we found that match that the culprit used to start the fire.”

“We figured something else out, too,” Maki said, and even though she was going along with the change, the glare she was directing at Shuuichi gave him the feeling that they would be talking about exactly how close he was with Kokichi later. He wished he could say that he’d love to know what exactly was going on, too, but he couldn't exactly convey that silently.

“I’d bet real money that your little _discovery_ ,” Kokichi said, sure to use air quotes, “is actually something that I already know about.”

If looks could kill, then Maki might as well be some kind of assassin with the expression she was giving Kokichi, but she tore her gaze away from the smaller boy and looked back to Shuuichi, blatantly ignoring the liar. “There are patterns in the burns on the ship that, when combined with the simple fact that such a small match would not be able to burn the entire ship so quickly, are indicative of a form of liquid fuel being used to start and strengthen the fire.”

“Holy shit, I should've actually bet real money,” Kokichi said, voice sounding as if he had just stumbled across the meaning of life itself.

“What is he talking about?” Maki narrowed her eyes at Shuuichi suspiciously, making the detective swallow nervously.

“I was going to bring it up when the whole group was back together,” he explained. “But we found another mech. A fourth one, yellow. But it was missing the fuel tank that the blue and green mechs had when we found them.”

“So if we can figure out who had the time to find the yellow mech, take the fuel, get back, and use a match to set the ship on fire, we’ll know who the traitor is.” Maki concluded for him.

“Exactly,” he confirmed. 

While Shuuichi had wanted to trust the entire group enough to solve this mystery together as their friend, he knew better as a detective.

If the entire group were to discuss this together, then the culprit would have no reason to come forward without any incentive. No, exposing the traitor to the entire group would only divide the group further than they had already driven themselves. But if he, along with a few others, formed a small, trustworthy group, they wouldn't have to worry about the culprit burrowing themselves into lies and false cover stories that would prevent them from ever unveiling the truth. He just needed to figure out a group of survivors that he knew beyond a single doubt were not only innocent, but would be capable of figuring out which of the group was not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i misspelled shirogane as shitogane and i cant even tell yall how badly i wanted to leave it like that
> 
> tumblr: relictior


	20. Chapter 20

That evening, Shuuichi found himself breaking the very curfew rule that he had come up with just a matter of weeks ago. Holding his breath, he snuck through the darkness of the cabin, Kokichi glaring at him when ever his steps made any creaks on the wooden floor.

By the time the pair got outside, Shuuichi was ready to ask exactly why Kokichi was acting as if sneaking out without letting the floorboards make so much noise. But as soon as he thought of the question, he realized that the answer was probably something along the lines of the detective’s plan to break curfew not being anything new to the other.

Outside, Maki was already waiting for the two of them, Kaede standing by her side.

“Why did you bring _him_?”

“I didn't mean to! He heard me sneaking out and decided to follow me on his own,” Shuuichi explained honestly.

Next to him, Kokichi yawned, stretching his arms high above his head as he did so. “Well, Mr. Detective here woke me up and I went to play detective myself and investigate what was going on. Of course, then he tried to feed me some story about not planning to meet with anyone in the middle of the night, which was… a little specific and unprompted. Besides, it would seem you brought an extra guest as well.”

Shuuichi looked to the ground in embarrassment. Kokichi’s claims were true, but at least they skipped over how long he paused when the other boy asked what he was up to before stuttering out something so clearly a lie. Why he thought he could get away with lying to Kokichi, especially when so tired from the days before, was far beyond Shuuichi’s own understanding.

Maybe Kokichi was just rubbing off on him that way.

Either way, the four of them were out breaking curfew to talk, and if anything, Shuuichi found it to be fair that he ended up accidentally bringing a plus one seeing as Maki had done the same, despite being the one to suggest that the two of them meet that night when they were walking back from searching the remains of the ship for any more evidence of who started the fire.

“Kaede was awake when I was leaving, and it is obvious by now that she is not the traitor can be trusted. But I do not trust Ouma with this,” Maki stated, straight to the point.

“I’m with Maki,” Kaede started, giving Shuuichi an apologetic look. “We don’t know for sure if he’s innocent in all of this, and he has too much of a habit of screwing the rest of the group over for no reason.”

“Wow, you guy are really good at talking about people like they aren't even there!” Kokichi nearly shouted. Shuuichi almost scolded the other to get him to be quieter, but caught himself when he noticed the subtle lilt in the other’s voice.

_He feels hurt but he won’t say it, will he?_

Shuuichi didn't know when he started to catch onto the small changes in the smaller boy’s antics, and he didn't even know if he was picking them up correctly right then. But there definitely something there, and he was starting to feel more confident in his understanding of Kokichi, even if he continued to shut the detective out and avoid all reasonable attempts at a serious conversation.

“We can trust him.” He stated simply. “He was with me all day, it would have been impossible for Kokichi to start the fire without me knowing.”

“He already knew about the use of fuel on the fire,” Maki pointed out.

Shuuichi fought the urge to shy way from the girl’s intense expression as he answered her. “So did I. We both found that yellow mech together. It would have been entirely unrealistic for one of us to start the fire without the other knowing.”

Kaede relaxed at Shuuichi’s claim, but Maki stayed tense beside her.

“How do we know that it wasn't both of you who did this, then?”

The detective practically felt himself shiver in fear at the accusation coming from the girl. Even Kaede seemed taken aback by the statement, gaze flitting back and forth between the two of them. Only Kokichi was unaffected, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms.

“You don’t,” he answered for Shuuichi, any and all pretenses of mischief and playfulness gone. “And we don't know that it wasn't you, either. Shuuichi is here because he trusts you, and that’s why you’re here, too. And, if it’s absolutely necessary, I suppose I can trust my beloved’s judgement, which in this case happens to include trusting you two with what we know about this fire.”

There was no way Shuuichi heard any of that right? Kokichi was going to trust them?

Well, alright, he only said he would trust him, but even then that was far more than Shuuichi had ever expected the other to say. And then it sank in that out of everyone there, Kokichi had agreed to trust Shuuichi and only him. Sure, he wanted the boy to trust more people, but he never pictured the other even sharing the most minor and necessary level of faith in single other person.

Only then did Shuuichi realize that Maki and Kaede were waiting for him to say something. “I trust him.”

Maki nodded in acceptance, although she refused to give the now widely grinning boy anything less than an annoyed stare. Kaede, on the other hand, perked up. “So you and Kaito went around to collect alibis right? What did you guys find out?”

“Almost all of them checked out. The only people who didn't have their entire day covered by someone else were Kiyo, who Angie couldn't verify was actually watching her work on art projects because she was too focused all afternoon, Hoshi, because he was alone for the day after Kiyo left him to watch Angie, and you in the morning, Maki.” Shuuichi explained quickly. “Everyone was else doing things in pairs or groups all day, and all their stories lined up when they were asked alone, so I know they were being honest. What did you guys find out?”

“Maki and I were searching the ship for clues after you guys left, and that was how we found out about the use of the fuel and the match to start the fire. After that, some other people kept filtering in and helping look at evidence for a bit before leaving when they got bored. Some of them were acting… weird, but it could've just been from the shock of what happened,” Kaede explained.

Maki looked thoughtful as Kaede spoke, and when she was done, the dark haired girl quietly brought up her own quiet suggestion. “We should go somewhere else and discuss this. We don't know if whoever did this could be listening in on our conversation right now.”

“Is Maki suggesting that we’re being spied on? How exciting!” Kokichi exclaimed, far too loudly for anyone else in the group’s comfort. Shuuichi gave the other an exasperated look as Maki quickly glanced around them for any signs that someone had heard him practically shouting in the quiet of the night.

Kaede was the first to act, though, taking it upon herself to lead the small group into leaving the area.

* * *

“Nice choice for a secret meeting place, Kayayde!”

Maki grumbled something under her breath as the smaller boy chose then to finally start whispering. Shuuichi, meanwhile, resisted the urge to laugh at the other’s sudden choice to speak softly now that there was no way that anyone else could sneak up and hear them where they were. Looking over to a cautious Kaede was enough to deter him, though.

“We didn't have to meet here of all places if it makes you uncomfortable, Kaede. We could discuss the investigation anywhere on the island, it does have to be by the blue mech.” Shuuichi spoke softly, worried that being back at the place where the girl had been attacked by the same blue mech that laid, halfway taken apart, on the torn up dirt, grass, and plant growth of the jungle around them.

“No, I’m alright. I just figured that people would be less likely to come looking for us here if I was involved,” Kaede explained, giving Shuuichi a reassuring smile.

“Anyways,” Kokichi drawled out the word until everyone was looking at him with expressions just passing from expectant to irritated. “Since we’re here, did you guys happen to notice anything weird?”

“Stop speaking in riddles and just tell use what you found out if you want us to actually trust you,” Maki said, making Kokichi stick his tongue out at her childishly. Shuuichi ignored the pair, instead choosing to take a closer look at the blue mech in the dark of the jungle at night, only the light of the moon and stars filtering through the trees around him offering any guidance.

“The fuel tank’s gone,” he realized, surprise filling him as he moved to reach down to where he _knew_ the compartment had been last time he saw the mech.

“Exactly! While you were guys were all too busy doing off and discerning absolutely no new information, I was investigating the things that _actually_ matter.”

Shuuichi couldn't help feeling a little satisfied over the look of frustration that came across Maki’s face when she realized that Kokichi actually had contributed something to the small group’s investigation.

“So whoever did this went right under our noses.” Maki’s frown deepened as she stared at the mech.

“But we have a timeframe of when they did,” Shuuichi realized. “Even if it’s admittedly a big gap, it’s still something, right?”

Kokichi’s expression suddenly turned very serious, and it was only when he started speaking in a different voice that Shuuichi caught on to the other trying to to his best impression of the detective. “Well according to my evidence, the fuel tank was still here few days ago when I used my detective powers to see that the giant container of gasoline or whatever was still there.”

“Actually, this reminds me of something Iruma said when I was talking to her yesterday,” Shuuichi interrupted before Kokichi could get too far in his little impersonation. “When she was giving her alibi, she mentioned that she had gone to find Kiibo in the morning to tell him about some discovery she had made about this mech, so she would be able to confirm whether the fuel tank was already gone when she got there or if it was afterwards that the culprit took it.”

Kaede was the only one to outright agree with the theory, leaving Maki and Kokichi deep in thought before the smaller boy gave him a look that felt way too much like one of pity for Shuuichi’s taste. “Shumai, you’re way too trusting, and you need to be more careful with that.”

“I hate to say this, but I agree with the little devil. From what you’re saying, it sounds like Kiibo and Iruma should be placed as our top suspects.” Maki explained for the other boy, making the other two’s expressions of optimism drop.

“But they both have alibis for the rest of the day. Kiibo was with Gonta all afternoon, and Tojo can confirm that she told the two of them about the fire together. And Iruma-“

“Has no one to verify that she didn't start the fire after she spent her morning with Kiibo. Oh wait, she supposedly does,” Kokichi’s voice turned cold as he continued on. “She referred to Kiibo being able to verify that she spent her entire afternoon here because, even though not a single person was with her all afternoon, the blue mech would be in a different state than it was when they parted ways for the day. And, well, I’d say the mech is certainly lacking some parts that it once had.”

“Shuuichi, I know you don't want to believe that one of us did this, but avoiding the fact can only cause more harm to everyone at this point. Iruma is most likely the culprit,” Maki stated. 

The detective shook his head. No, that couldn't be right, it just didn't make any sense. “Why would she of all people burn down the ship?”

“She was also the one that you decided to tell our exact coordinates to,” Kokichi pointed out. “Maybe she decided that escape from the island was just too daunting, and that we would be better off facing the island than the sea.”

“No, that doesn't make sense, either.” Shuuichi started.

“What coordinates?” Kaede asked, absolutely confused.

Only then did he realize how out of the loop the poor blonde was. Speaking of out of the loop, it also made an untold story of a red mech come to mind.

“We figured out that the final two numbers of the transmission sequence is our exact location. Longitude of one hundred and seventy-six, latitude of twenty-eight,” Maki said. “Shuuichi was the one who solved it.”

“Excuse you! _I_ was the one who figured that out!”

“There’s something else that I’ve been meaning to tell you about Kokichi, and it might have to do with Iruma if you guys really think it was her.” This seemed to grab the other boy’s attention, and the detective was met with a curious expression. “I should've told you earlier, but there was never a really a good time… That doesn't matter now, though. The day before we investigated where Amami was captured, when I was telling Iruma about the coordinates, she had something to show me, too.”

“Ew, if this is about some weird sex toy or secret fetish, I do _not_ think it’s crucial evidence.”

“The roof that you fell through did not collapse on its own, a mech tore the ceiling out from under you, and that’s why your fall didn’t line up with how we found you. I think it was the red mech, but I still don't know why it would target you, or why it wouldn't kill you itself once it knocked you down from the roof.”

“And you couldn't find a better time to bring it up until now?” Kokichi asked, annoyance clear.

“Every time I wanted to bring it up we were either investigating something else or in a crowd, and I figured you wouldn't exactly want the entire group to take part in finding that out.” Shuuichi reasoned, earning a moment in which the two boys were both frozen in thought before the other gave a small nod.

“Fine, but only because it’s you trying to pull this stuff on me.”

“Oh! That reminds me of something!” Kaede interrupted, making Shuuichi remember that the girls were still there. “What’s up with you two?”

Shuuichi looked to Maki to help avoid the question and change the topic, but the girl looked too invested in any potential answer to do that.

“Didn’t I already tell everyone, like, _ages ago_ that Shuu and I were making out in the tunnels? It’s not my fault that you guys assume everything I say is some kind of lie!”

Actually, Shuuichi was pretty sure that when you had a reputation for constantly lying, it made sense that people would think that. Of course it was only after he had that thought that he realized exactly what the smaller boy had said. And by the time he caught up, Maki was already glaring at Shuuichi while Kaede was smiling way more than he would have ever expected in this kind of situation.

“I thought I was some kind of observant genius for noticing that you two were sending time together, too!” Kaede said, laughter beginning to flow into her voice before she gathered herself. “And here I always assumed Shuuichi would need some kind of major push from someone else to get him to actually act on anything, but I guess he just needed that from Ouma himself.”

“Actually-“ Shuuichi started, only to be cut off.

“That is _exactly_ what happened Kaede! I figured out Shuuichi’s truest feelings and made a move as soon as I got the chance,” he said smugly, earning a defiant glare from Shuuichi.

“I will not and for this slander,” he said. “Kokichi did not make the first move. I can act brave when I want to!”

“Your voice literally just cracked.”

“Kokichi, you are not being helpful.”

“I know!”

Maki taking a deep breath stopped the two of them immediately, Shuuichi nervously looking over to the girl while the smaller boy next to him lit up in excitement as if already preparing to argue with whatever the girl said so that he could get under her skin at the fine hour of probably the middle of the night as they stood around by the now long forgotten blue mech. “I do not like this, but I support Shuuichi. However, if you are ever upset by the little shit, I will gladly kill him for you.”

Shuuichi slumped in relief. He had definitely not been expecting such acceptance from the girl who hated Kokichi so much. Regardless, this was the last thing he wanted to be talking about right then. “Thanks, I think.”

“Hello? I’m standing right here.”

“Same from me!” Kaede exclaimed. “Well maybe with less murder, but you’ve been so much more confident since we first got here, and if this is what helped you, then I’ll support you, Shuuichi.”

“Still right here!”“Can we please get back to the culprit again?” Shuuichi pleaded.

“Aw, does Shuuichi not want to talk about his little boyfriend?”

Shuuichi was pretty sure that, had he been some kind of mech himself, he would have just short circuited. “He’s not my- we aren’t- we just- it was one time- wait no it wasn’t, no please can we just-“

“Little!?”

“Iruma! Please may we talk about Iruma! I never thought I would want to talk about Iruma but please!”

“Alright, alright,” Kaede gave in. “What’s the plan on dealing with her?”

Shuuichi breathed a sigh of relief and composed himself. “I think she trusts me, so I can try and ask what she meant when she mentioned her discovery earlier. And from there we can figure out if we have enough information to confirm her as being the culprit. Until then, I think it would be for the best if we kept our suspicions between the four of us.”

What he chose not to say was that he still wasn't convinced. For Iruma to destroy a creation of her own, that the entire group had grown to love os much just didn’t sound right. If anything, Shuuichi could see her growing bored of it and moving on to work on her own ideas, even with the limited resources. But for her to completely burn it to the ground? Not only would it set the entire group so far back, but she’d lose so much material that she could've otherwise reused.

But the group standing there with him seemed set and determined to pin Iruma as the culprit, and Shuuichi could only hope that he would figure out the truth before anyone went to far in their desperation.

“Then that concludes the first Investigation Team meeting,” Kaede announced.

“Investigation Team?” Maki questioned.

“Well yeah, we need a group name obviously. I cant just keep referring to you guys as ‘the group but not the big group, like just part of the group’ in my head.” The blonde explained.

“Only if I get to be the leader.”

“I’ll kill you in real life.”

So then it was official. They were a team that would work together to finding the truth of who burnt down the ship. In the meantime, Shuuichi realized that he was going to have to put the investigation into Amami’s capture on hold, but on the bright side, they at least had the first mystery of Kokichi’s concussion solved. It was just a shame that accidents like this just kept coming. Or rather, he realized as he thought more into it, it was a shame that someone was doing such acts of violence and sabotage.

Four mechs and three times that the survivors were setback by some outside force or another, and still no way off this island.

Hopefully, this Investigation Team would be what the group needed in order to solve the mysteries of the island. The least trusting survivor on the island, the girl who’s past is clouded in mystery and suspicion, the group member who was witness to the moments just before the most mysterious disappearance that he had ever tried to figure out, and the detective that was trying his best to solve every last puzzle this island offered him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter was like,, all one scene of dialogue and for that i am immensely sorry holy shit
> 
> anyways, after an eventful night i’m gonna go ahead and say that i’ve been working on a (pregame) university au in my free time. and by eventful night i mean that leaving mcdonalds at 2:30am to find a completely shitfaced stranger passed out in the drivers seat of my car was a little unexpected but that’s a story that will most certainly be used in that fic instead of these notes lol


	21. Chapter 21

Part of Shuuichi wonders what they would've been like if they had some kind of time constraint on their investigation and identification of the culprit. He quickly pushes the thought to the back of his mind, though. That wasn't what they were being faced with now, so there was no point in considering the idea. For now, he would just have to count on the potential threat of the culprit striking the group again to press the group to come a conclusion of who did this.

Kaito had come up with the idea of having the entire group meet together for breakfast that morning, which was how Shuuichi now found himself sitting across scattered pine needles in the area between the two cabins, the astronaut in training to his right and Kaede on his left.

With all of his worries at the focus of his thoughts, Shuuichi had to admit he was surprised with how many people had actually agreed to meet together. In fact, as he looked around, the only people he noticed were missing were Amami and Kokichi. The former he understood the absence of, seeing as the boy was still recovering from being captured and struggling through starvation, dehydration, and extreme heat all in a confined space for several days, but Kokichi’s disappearance made the detective tense in discomfort.

_They already don't trust you, why are you so determined to make yourself seem even more suspicious?_

The detective hadn't even realize that Kaito had started talking to the group until the other boy called over his attention. Try to figure out what exactly Shuuichi had missed while zoning out and worrying over where Kokichi could have gone, he looked around the group and took them in individually.

Judging by the tense atmosphere, it wasn't exactly difficult to figure out that Kaito had directed everyone’s thoughts to those of fire and burning wood. His gaze automatically shifted over to Iruma, only to find that her expression looked just as troubled as Kiibo’s and Shirogane’s next to her. He couldn't help feeling a twinge of satisfaction over the reaction to the topic being brought up. After last night, he had admittedly started to grow worried that his assumption of the blonde’s innocence came from blind naivety, but the detective was sure now that she could not possibly lie through her expressions so easily. Maybe Kokichi could, but not her. 

The more he thought about it, the more he doubted that the inventor would have done such a thing as burning down the ship that she had worked so hard on, and he was ready to defend that first, honest belief. Even if he didn't have any irrefutable proof yet.

“I think it’s about time we talked about what happened yesterday,” he started, catching onto Kaito’s expectant looks and assuming he was waiting for the detective to start the discussion over the mystery of the fire. 

“We all investigated yesterday and gathered evidence, and I think it would be for the best if we all discussed what we found together. Only through pooling what each of us knows together will we be able to uncover the truth. Does anyone want to start?” Shuuichi cringed at the end of the question, voice trailing off. Hopefully this would actually go well. As long as the group could just keep cool and collected, they would be able to piece together what happened. That was all they had to do. Stay calm and logical in order to properly—

“Well I think we should start with the fact that the little shota isn't even fuckin’ here! The only reason he’d wander off is because he’s guilty or because he’s too busy tryin’ to-“

“It could have been said better,” Kiibo cut Iruma off before she could get any further in her theories. “But I agree with her point. Doesn’t anyone else think that it’s a little suspicious he’s wandered off like this? Right when we were working together to find the traitor?”

Shuuichi felt himself tense at how quickly what he had hoped would be a discussion over evidence turned into throwing around more accusations. Of course they couldn't just do this reasonably. At least Kiibo had taken a less… brash attempt of pointing fingers than Iruma had. 

“No, I was with him all day, if he’d set the fire then I would've known. Not to mention we were practically on the opposite side of the island when we found out about it…” the detective mumbled before straightening himself back up. “I don't know where he is right now, but this brings us to an important topic that I think we should discuss. Kaito and I went around during the investigation period and collected alibis. Most of them were solid, but there were a few with holes in them.”

This gained some whispering and cautious exchanged between everyone sitting or standing together beneath the pine trees. “I’m not accusing anyone of anything, but it is worth mentioning that Maki has no alibi for the morning. And in terms of the afternoon, Iruma, Hoshi, and potentially Korekiyo and Angie do not have any alibis.”

Shuuichi didn't have to look to the dark haired girl to know that Maki was glaring at him.

“Potentially?” Shirogane parroted, confused.

“Oh, um, well Korekiyo said he was watching Angie paint, or something, but she wasn't paying attention to anything around her at the time so she can’t verify that it’s true.”

If any part of Shuuichi had honestly been hoping for the statement to be met with anything other than loud arguing and screaming about which one of those five had clearly lit the ship on fire, then that part of him had clearly not been paying any attention to the group around him during the time they were together on the island so far.

“Excuse you, Cuckhara! Did I not clearly explain explain that there was proof I was still working with the blue piece of shit, or was your shitty virgin brain to busy thinking about something else to hear!?” Iruma shouted, making Shuuichi cringe away from her as she stood to her feet.

“I’m not accusing you of anything!” He yelped out, trying to recover from his surprise at her outburst.

“Then I will,” a cool voice spoke from the other side of the group, gathering everyone’s attention to Maki as she stared down a now withering Iruma. “The person who started the fire used fuel to do so. Others who examined the ship can verify that.” Around the group were a few scattered and shaky nods. “The blue mech was missing the fuel tank after the fire happened. Someone who was with the mech had to have picked the fuel tank off of it and used it to start the fire. And not everyone knew about that tank, which makes you more than a little suspicious right now.”

“I didn't take the fuel, though! And besides why would I burn that ship down? It was _my_ project to begin with!” Iruma defended herself.

Shuuichi stayed quiet now, unsure of whether he should go against all of the claims he had heard from Maki and Kaede the night before in favor of trusting his intuition.

“Then what were you doing with the mech all afternoon… Isn’t that a long time to bother looking at a heap of metal,” Yumeno sighed out.

“I… uh… I realized something about it that I thought was strange, so I decided to check it out,” she muttered.

“Then what did you realize?” Shuuichi prompted her.

Iruma gave a look around the group before letting out a frustrated sound. “Well I wasn't going to say anything until I knew for sure, but since you’re all a bunch of impatient fucks who think I’m the culprit just because you’re all just jealous, I guess I’ll share.”

The group was paying close attention as the girl paused, waiting to hear what exactly was so important that she felt the need to keep it from the group until she was so certain over it. Shuuichi then remembered what she and Kiibo had said when they were giving their alibis the day before— something about some important discovery she had made that demanded they go back to the blue mech immediately. Maybe this was that discovery?

“I was thinking about how weird it was for the mechs to be made out of machinery that isn't anywhere else on the island, and then I started thinking about how familiar that the engines and the fuel itself was. So, I decided to check the blue mech, since it was the only one we had easy access to, and… it might be possible that the mechanics of the mech are extremely fuckin’ similar to the ones in planes.”

That earned silence from the group. Shuuichi looked as closely as he could for any signs that the girl was lying, but Kiibo soon spoke up. “I didn't know that was why she wanted to reexamine the mech so badly, but I-I think she might be right, when I think about it.”

“Then… Then you set the ship on fire because you’d rather make a plane and take that to escape?” Kaito questioned, confusion filling his voice.

“No!” Iruma practically shouted, back to her loud attitude from moments before. “I didn't set the ship on fire, and even if I did what kind of shitty plan is that? If the blue mech’s engine was just some kind of perfect airplane engine, do you think it would've taken a genius like myself this long to figure out what it was!? My best guess is that there was one plane that crashed here at another point in time, something small probably, and the it was taken apart and had different pieces distributed to different mechs to the point that it was almost impossible to even recognize. I wouldn't be surprised if there was even more mechs here on the island outside of the three we’ve found and the red one that the sloppy twink claimed to have run into.”

_More mechs?_

“If I could get a closer look of the other two that we know where to find, then I might be able to figure out how many more mechs we could be looking at. But all I have to go off of is the blue one, and even then I’m still not certain it even _is_ made of recycled plane parts.”

“And you didn't want to say anything because… what? You didn't want to get our hopes up?” Chabashira asked, but her voice came out more confused than accusing.

“Jeez, why are you all so surprised about that? You guys act like a bunch of virgins getting their first lap dance when anyone so much as whispers about getting off this island. I swear, by now the space idiot has probably creamed his pants at least ten times just by thinking about the ship.”

Shuuichi didn't bother trying to fight back the slight satisfaction he felt over the vindication of his intuition then, instead just hoping that it wasn't visible. “So then we need to talk about the other evidence.” He said, aiming to steer away the conversation from Iruma and back to the situation at hand. “It’s safe to say that Iruma has cleared herself of suspicion, so we should talk about what else we know about the fire before we get to any ideas of mechs and planes.”

“How about we dress the fact that there are still three people without alibis next?” Kaito suggested, “Hoshi, Angie, and Korekiyo need to be cleared of suspicion before we can move on.”

Something about the wording at the end of the statement got to Shuuichi. Why was he trying to hard to clear everyone of suspicion? Did he not realize that one of them was going to be found guilty of betraying the group, or did he just refuse to accept it?

“Interesting how you fail to mention the lack of an account for her morning in Harukawa’s morning, isn't it?” Korekiyo said, watching Kaito carefully as the other recoiled at the words.

“Makiroll would never do something like this! If anyone here would, it would be you!”

Korekiyo hummed at this, as if somehow amused by Kaito’s reaction, and knowing the guy, h probably was. “It was not me. However, I can understand where the accusation comes from. I do not have an alibi for the morning, as I was alone.”

“So it really was you, Harukawa!?” Kiibo yelped in surprise.

“No way, she couldn't have done it! She _just_ said it wasn't her! Right, sidekick?” Kaito said, looking from Maki to Shuuichi pleadingly.

 _How does he expect me to defend this?!_ Shuuichi froze, trying his best to figure out some kind of proof that Maki hadn't been the one to set the ship on fire. _It may be kind of flimsy, but as long as no one tried to call him out on it, then it might actually work…_

“Kaito, how soon before the fire did you spend time with Maki?”

The astronaut in training looked uncomfortable at the question. “Only about half an hour before the fire started, if I remember right, but it really couldn't have been her! I know it!”

“Where did you spend time with her yesterday?” Shuuichi pressed on.

“Over here, by the cabins.”

_Perfect._

“It wasn't Maki.” Shuuichi stated simply, earning a few exclamations of disagreement from the group.

“And exactly how do you know that?” Iruma questioned, clearly not planning to forgive the other girl for accusing her just a few minutes ago.

“It wouldn't be possible for her to get from the ship to the cabins in less than half an hour. Unless she sprinted the entire distance faster than that polar bear could have,” Shuuichi explained.

The group fell into quiet after that, and there was peace for a few moments as they took in all of the information that had been proposed and the accusations that had been refuted thus far. Shuuichi couldn't help a growing sense of disappointment, though. In discussing this, all thy had managed to do was determine who was _not_ the traitor. But he just had to be patient, soon enough they would get there. They just had to filter through everything else first.

After the few quiet moments had passed, the group shifted, focus moving to rest uneasily on the remaining potential suspects, all of which seemingly unaffected by the attention suddenly being direct at them.

“So that leaves Hoshi, Korekiyo, and Angie.”

For some reason, none of those suspects felt right to Shuuichi either, but he had already gone through and shared all of what he knew, and figured that his lack of direction between the three must be coming from the inability to decisively pin one down as the culprit.

Looking around the group, he was relieved to see that his feelings were, in fact, not universal, some members of the group looking as if they were ready to speak up to the group.

Finally, Tojo broke the silence. “I believe that Hoshi is the most likely suspect out of the three. Korekiyo claims an alibi for both himself and Yonaga, and we have no proper reason to mistrust the account which he has provided.”

Hoshi didn't even bother to argue against he accusation, instead nodding along with it. Beside Shuuichi, though, Maki had a different reaction to the claims. “You’re joking, right? Hoshi is clearly the least likely out of those three to have done this. You claim that there’s ‘no proper reason to mistrust’ what Korekiyo has claimed, but I must point out that _nothing_ he has done since landing on the island has pointed toward him being trustworthy in _any_ way whatsoever.”

“Yeah, and that sure means a lot coming from _you_ ,” Iruma ground out, rolling her eyes.

“Hey! What exactly is that supposed to mean?” Kaito yelled.

“Stop thinking with your dick for once and accept that your little bitch of girlfriend over there is like, the least trustworthy person on this shithole island!”

“Yeah right! She’s perfectly trustworthy! If anyone here isn't trustworthy, then it’s the three people without any good alibis. And that’s not even touching up on that asshole that didn't even bother showing up to the group discussion this morning.”

Shuuichi shrunk at the reminder that Kokichi was so clearly absent from the group, missing the entire discussion and making himself a clear suspect to everyone else there.

“We need to focus on the three remaining… persons of interest,” Shuuichi interrupted the argument, struggling to avoid calling anyone a suspect aloud. “Hoshi, do you have any way to prove that you aren't the culprit?”

“Lack of motivation?” He suggested. “Why would I bother setting the ship on fire?”

“Gonta may be able to help!” The green haired boy stood up, speaking for the first time in the entire meeting. “Gonta no think Hoshi started fire because Hoshi could not get onto the ship on his own.”

Hoshi grumbled something about not being able to help being short, and Shuuichi wondered how exactly such information would benefit anyone right then when it clicked what Gonta was trying to point out. “You’re saying that it couldn't have been Hoshi because the fuel on poured on the top of the ship where he couldn't have reached on his own.”

Gonta nodded at this, smiling proudly. “Gonta’s friend no start fire!”

“Maki and Shirogane, the two of you were investigating the source of the fire, is it true that the fuel was only poured on the top of the ship and not on the sides?”

“Well, um, it’s kind of hard to tell from what we were able to look at, but the planks that lined the deck of the ship were much more damaged than the ones that lined the sides. So it would make sense that the fire was strongest on the top. And that it probably was there longest, but I’m no fire expert by any means, it’s really just a guess, ad it’s probably not even right.” Shirogane looked exhausted as she finished spluttering out her explanation.

“She’s right,” Maki states simply. “They both are. Hoshi did not start the fire.”

And so there were two.

Shuuichi looked between Angie and Korekiyo uneasily. One of them had started a fire that burned down the ship that had once stood as their only way off of this island alive. One of them was capable of betraying everyone there without feeling any obvious remorse over their actions.

“It was either Korekiyo or Angie who started the fire, then.” Kiibo thought aloud before giving them a pleading look. “If whoever it was speaks up, we’ll forgive you! Just please, say something so we don't have to keep throwing accusations at each other like this anymore.”

Neither said anything, Korekiyo tilting his head in what Shuuichi guessed was curiosity over Kiibo’s decision to offer forgiveness on behalf of a group that would obviously not be willing to give it, meanwhile Angie was humming to herself and staring off into the distance. Actually, as Shuuichi looked carefully, her eyes weren’t as distant as he expected they would be if she was zoning out and ignoring the group, and he turned to see what she was looking at.

“Sorry I’m late, everyone! Just had to sort a few little problems!” Kokichi chirped as he practically skipped over to the group, lazily falling to the cushion of fallen pine needles and laying down in the empty space beside Shuuichi.

“Where were we again? Korekiyo and Angie? Well, I gotta say, I’m really curious as to where you’re all planning to go with this one!”

“Where were you!?” Shuuichi whispered angrily to other boy as the group erupted back into frustrated accusations, now including Kokichi as they were reminded that he, in their eyes, was just as much of a suspect as Korekiyo and Angie.

Kokichi grinned, quietly responding with a short, “Don’t worry about it,” before sitting upright and facing the group.

“And where do you get off acting like you aren't the prime suspect in this case!?” Iruma yelled across the circle that the group was situated in.

“Did Shuuichi here not say that I was with him all day? Do you not trust him?! I thought he was everyone here’s favorite!” Kokichi gasped in mock surprise, making at least half of the group grain in a annoyance while the rest continued shouting accusations.

“That’s not what matters right now!” Shuuichi exclaimed. “We were going to discuss Korekiyo and Angie, so let’s do that for now. We can get to Kokichi after.”

Those that had continued to shout then quieted into muttering under their breath, much to Shuuichi’s relief. “Korekiyo, you claimed that you were watching Angie work on her art all afternoon once you were finished spending time with Hoshi, is that correct?”

The long haired boy nodded.

“And Angie, you said you didn't notice him watching because…” he prompted.

“When Atua speaks through art, Angie does not pay attention to anything other than the spirit in her and the message she is delivering.”

“I think… the solution to this one is a lot easier than I expected for it to be, then.” Shuuichi realized suddenly. “Korekiyo just has to prove that he was watching her working on her art, and both with be cleared, right?”

The group made varying sounds of agreement, and Shuuichi turned to face Korekiyo. “Kiyo, what was Angie working on while you were watching her?”

Understanding flashed in Korekiyo’s eyes. “She was creating a sculpture resembling Rantarou Amami,” he answered.

That was… admittedly not what Shuuichi had been expecting, but he decided he’d better go with it anyways.

“Angie, is that accurate?”

The girl nodded with a wide smile. “Yep! Angie was told by Atua that she needed to honor our fallen friend!”

“He isn’t… never mind. Can you show us the sculpture? Just to prove that everyone is telling the truth?” Shuuichi asked, hoping that he wasn't coming off accusatory to the strange girl

“Of course!” Angie stood up and made her way from the group, stopping to turn and look at them curiously.

Korekiyo seemed to decide that was the moment to speak back up. “It is an admittedly impressive sculpture, however life sized it is. I do not believe that Angie will be able to carry it back here on her own.”

Gonta stood up then, as if he already knew that he would be the one asked to assist in carrying what must have been a fairly heavy work of art, ad made his way to follow Angie, leaving the rest fat group behind for the time being.

That was when another realization hit Shuuichi.

They still had not found the culprit.

Out of the entire group, everyone had been cleared of suspicion, or at least was about to be cleared, assuming that the statue existed. Not one person had been determined to have set the ship on fire.

But how was that even possible? It had to have been one of them, right? Had he somehow missing something in some of the alibis? From what he could recall, they all were solid, each person vouching for one another with confidence, and with no clear misinformation being given.

Around him, the group seemed mostly relieved, too busy focusing on their own clearance of guilt to come to the conclusion that Shuuichi had.

Was it possible that a mech had somehow started the fire? Shuuichi’s thoughts flicked to those of massive mechanical appendages and thin, fragile matches.

No, that just didn't make sense at all. There was no way that any of the mechs could have done this. Besides, if one had, then why would it have used a match? It would've made much more sense for it to start the fire without the difficulty of working through fine motor skills when it could have just spread fuel and then sparked it aflame.

Looking around, Shuuichi felt himself grow anxious as he came to his final decision on the matter. So far, they had yet to see a single person besides themselves on the island, and because of that, he felt certain that the one to start the fire was sitting somewhere in this small circle. But they had yet to finish exploring the side of the island that Kaede and Amami had set out to investigate when they were attacked all those days ago.

Someone from their group had betrayed them and targeted them.

Twice, they had been attacked from the mechs, and once they had been targeted from within.

But if the group were to accept that one of them had started the fire, what would even happen? Would they want to detain them? Abandon them? Leave them for dead? Kill them themselves? The possibilities made Shuuichi shudder with fear. No, if this attitude, this mistrust continued, it would be a witch hunt. There would be accusations flying constantly, no one would be willing to work together, and they would never be able to make any progress towards escaping the island. And maybe it was that conclusion that lead Shuuichi to what he said next as Gonta and Angie returned, an indeed life size homage to Amami in tow.

“It couldn't have been any of us. It had to have been someone else. We never truly finished exploring the island, so what if there really is someone else here, and they were the one to do this to us?”

Shuuichi hoped no one would notice his bluff.

When he saw the amused look Kokichi was giving him, he just hoped that he wouldn't be called out on his bluff.

But Kokichi stayed silent as the rest of the group began to murmur in agreement, anger previously directed towards one another shifting to an outside source that Shuuichi had no reason to believe was even there.

He’d just have to figure out who was the true culprit on his own while the group was fixated on a nonexistent island inhabitant. 

Yeah, that shouldn't be practically impossible.

_Right?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so ive been constantly reworking the smaller details of this fic around a definitive main storyline every few chapters, and at this point i think i have a final, detailed plan for the rest of this fic and exactly where i want every last minor plot included to go so uhhhhh yay
> 
> also lol the main plot and ending have been set in stone since the introduction of the number sequence so uhhh finalizing details hell yeah
> 
> im gonna say ill proofread later but im probably lying to both you and myself over that since im gonna start right on ch22 rn instead


	22. Chapter 22

Once the group of survivors was convinced that an outsider on the island had been the one to ruin their attempts at escaping the island, things had started going extremely well. 

Instead of spitting accusations, everyone had taken to working together to recover whatever material from the burnt ship that they could, despite how little they possibly could. The rest had taken to working together to make sure that they would have enough food to get them to the point at which they would finally be able to leave the island, Gonta even going as far as to suggesting that they grow a garden, the idea accepted and adopted by Angie, Chabashira, and Yumeno collectively. Meanwhile, Tojo and Kaede had taken to keeping watch over Amami as he slowly regained his health.

Amidst all of this, Kokichi had found the opportunity to drag Shuuichi away from the group and into the jungle. Now, the detective was following along as the other boy led the way, confused as to what he had been pulled away for in the first place.

“First of all, you’re a terrible liar, and you’re lucky that all of those idiots back there are so naive.” Okay, so maybe he had a slight guess as to why he had been pulled away by the other. “Seriously? Pinning it on some mystery inhabitant we haven't seen despite being here for, like, at least two months by this point?”

Shuuichi shrugged. Kokichi did have a very good point, and he honestly wasn't entirely sure of how his words were accepted so easily. In the end, the group must have been so desperate for something to blame everything on that they latched onto the first suggestion given to them. Either way, it worked to Shuuichi’s benefit, and hopefully the group’s as well.

“I couldn't let them turn on each other and I panicked,” he tried, picking up his pace as Kokichi did.

“Second of all,” he interrupted before throwing a smug look over his shoulder, “I thought you might want to know that I’ve made a bit of a break through over here.”

“So that’s where you were this morning I take it?”

Kokichi scoffed. “I wouldn't have attended that pitiful meeting even if the only way out of it was falling from the warehouse roof again.”

“Kokichi, you have to at least try and get along with them, you know that right? They’re looking to blame whoever they can, and if I wasn't able to defend you back there, then who knows what they would've done,” Shuuichi sighed.

“My, my, Shumai,” he shook his head as he kept on walking. “And here I thought you’d want to know what my super duper important break through was!”

Shuuichi rolled his eyes playfully at Kokichi’s theatrics. “Alright, what did you discover?”

“You know what? I don't think you want to hear it, actually,” Kokichi stated, not faltering in his steps.

“Please tell me?” Shuuichi tried, earning a loud whine from in front of him.

“Nope! You don't deserve to hear it! Only those that are entirely faithful to one Kokichi Ouma, the truest of the supreme leader’s followers, earn access to his amazing top-secret information,” Kokichi explained, and Shuuichi could practically hear the wide grin seeping into his voice.

Deciding to play along, Shuuichi gave a thoughtful hum before responding. “Alright then, Mr. Supreme Leader, how does one become such a follower?”

“Hey! You cant take my ‘Mr. Detective’ nickname and turn it against me like that!” Kokichi exclaimed, chocked back laughter slipping into his voice. “But Shumai would be pleased to know that he already has that access, especially since we’re here now.”

Shuuichi glanced around when Kokichi came to a stop and turned around with a proud expression.

“This is the place where the green mech got Amami.” He observed aloud. “Did you figure out something about how he was captured?”

He wasn't sure that the other’s expression could ever grow more smug than it already was, but it somehow managed.

“No way.” Shuuichi gaped. “What is it? Do you know what happened here?”

“Well, it’s all theories that cant exactly be proven yet, but I think I may have figured something out that could explain how the green mech got him without any signs of a struggle. So, Shuuichi, would you mind doing me a favor and answering a quick few questions?”

“Sure?”

Kokichi’s smile vanished, suddenly replaced by a pensive expression. “The confusion behind Amami’s capture arises not from the capture itself, but from how he was captured, correct?”

“Well, yeah,” Shuuichi answered, unsure of where the other was going with this.

“And the confusion lies in the fact that there were no signs of a struggle, correct?”

“Yeah?”

“With conviction, my beloved Shuuichi!”

“Yes?”

“Close enough,” Kokichi mumbled. “Someone from the group was behind the fire that destroyed the ship, despite your imaginary little scapegoat, correct?”

“Yes,” Shuuichi answered.

Kokichi leaned forward as he spoke his next question, expression deadly serious. “So there is a distinct possibility that the same person who started the fire is behind the capture of Amami, correct?”

“You lost me,” Shuuichi admitted after a pause.

“Well, hear me out on this one. Don't you think it would make sense that the reason Amami did not struggle was because he was fooled into a false sense of security by someone he trusted?”

“Amami hardly trusted anyone from the group, though,” Shuuichi pointed out.

The other boy looked up at him, expression carrying the serious intensity that Shuuichi had realized Kokichi had only ever shown when he was the only one around. “Anyone terrified for their life would take the extended hand of a monster if they believed it would save them from another.”

Shuuichi unconsciously swallowed at the statement. “So what exactly do you think happened?”

“I think that the same person who started the fire found Amami when he was fleeing from the blue mech, and baited him into getting into the green mech somehow before triggering it to trap him.”

“I think that accusing one of the group members of setting the ship on fire and directly attacking and almost killing another person are two very different things,” Shuuichi bargained, unsure of whether he wanted to believe or even consider the possibility that one of them had intentionally pushed the green haired boy so close to death.

But the more that he thought about the possible explanation, the more he refused to admit made sense about it.

After all, for there to be no indication of Amami fighting back or even trying to escape the green mech would fit along quite well with Kokichi’s proposition. Maybe Amami had simply been unconscious when it happened? Then again, he wasn't exactly a small person, and the cockpit of the mech was a tight enough fit that he doubted anyone from their group could have both been able to lift him into the mech _and_ sit him in it as if he had arranged himself in there on his own.

“So you’re suggesting that someone managed to coax him into the green mech when he was trying to escape the blue mech? How could they have done that?”

“I actually hadn't gotten to that part yet,” Kokichi admitted, but Shuuichi just narrowed his gaze at the smaller boy.

“Yeah, right. What’s your most likely theory?”

Kokichi’s expression brightened, the boy smiling excitedly. “Aw, Shumai saw through me so quickly! I’m so proud! But you’re right, that was a lie. So let me go through what _I_ think happened.”

Shuuichi gave a small nod to cue Kokichi to launch into his account of what he believed happened, unsure of exactly what he was going to claim, but daily sure that he was smart enough at least be in the same ballpark of the truth.

“Amami got this far in fleeing from the blue mech before he finally lost it and started either walking or resting to take a break from his running, as we determined last time we investigated here together. During this time, he was desperate for any certain method of escape from the blue mech that was still hunting him down. Nearby, he can hear the grinding of rusting metal, the sign of the dangerous mech pursuing him. Unbeknownst to him, the mech is actually turning around, leaving him behind in favor of searching for Kaeidiot instead of hunting him down. The mech does this because it is aware, somehow, that Amami will already be taken care of without its help.

“‘How is it aware of this?’ you may ask, to which I would reply, ‘They’re robots they’re probably wirelessly connected to each other, this isn't that hard to understand, Shuuichi.’ So, at this point, Amami was found, but not by the green mech. He was found by our precious little traitor, who then took the opportunity to lure him away. From there, they took him to the green mech, probably claiming something about how, ‘you should hide in here, amami! The blue mech won’t get to you if you’re hiding inside of the green mech?’ and Amami’s desperate self was like, ‘yeah that sounds like a super trustworthy idea, i don't want to die.’ Either way, the traitor lured him into the green mech, most likely proposing it as being some form of protection from the other mech, and Amami took the offer, and _that_ is how he was captured by the green mech. Not by the green mech at all, but by the person behind all of these mysteries that have harmed the group up to this point.”

Shuuichi didn't want to admit that the theory sounded quite possible.

But it did sound quite possible.

“So if we can find out who set the fire, we can figure out who’s controlling the mechs,” he thought aloud, looking over to see Kokichi nodding his agreement.

“Now you’re getting it! Although I gotta say, you throwing in the bluff that there could be someone else on the island doing all of this is gonna really help our investigation, even if you had no idea it would even do that.”

He was right again. Shuuichi’s plan in throwing the blame elsewhere had originally been in keeping the group from going after each other as relentlessly as they had when they first started accusing one another of being the traitor. But now, it was clear that the distraction would provide Shuuichi and Kokichi the perfect opportunity to investigate into the group without drawing any suspicion.

“Then it’s decided,” Shuuichi said. “The two of us are going to figure out the true culprit. And while we’re at it, I think there’s another mystery that deserves some attention, and I even think it could help us figure out the identity of the culprit, too.”

With that, Shuuichi went into discussing Iruma’s claims from that morning over the possible origins of the mechanics behind the robots roaming the island.

When he finally reached the end of his explanation over what she had said, Kokichi’s expression turned thoughtful again before he spoke back up. “Then it sounds like we need to add finding the red mech to our list of goals. Wow, we sure are getting busy!”

Shuuichi let out a small noise of agreement at that.

It was definitely a lot for them to try and figure out, especially given that had already decided the they would only work with one another in order to keep the group from falling back into dissent. But if they could pull this off, then they’d be able to get off of this island together. 

“Well for now, all we can do is look for more mechs and clues of who the traitor is,” he said, breaking himself from his thoughts. “And we wont get that done by standing around in places we’ve already scoured for clues.”

Kokichi grinned widely at the statement before turning to walk away from the detective. “Well then, shall we go?”

Shuuichi felt a smile cross his face as he made his way to follow the smaller boy through the mess of trees and bushes.

* * *

By the time that the two of them got back to the cabins, the sun was beginning to set and they were absolutely exhausted from searching the island for any hints of the missing mech all day. Or at least Shuuichi was prepared to collapse to the ground on the spot, if Kokichi felt the same way, then he certainly did a good job of hiding it.

Almost immediately, he was pulled aside by Iruma, the blonde not saying a single word as she led them to the side of the cabins.

Once they were behind the building, she gave a few quick glances around them, giving Kokichi an offended smile as he followed the two of them. When she decided that they were in the clear, she fixed all of her attention on Shuuichi.

“So I went to check out the yellow mech with Kiibo, and then we decided to check out the green one again, so we got some of the guys to help us get back down and up the ravine again. And I can confidently say, now, that the mechs are run using parts taken and recycled from what I’m sure was once a plane.”

Shuichi’s mind raced at the statement. This discovery could mean so much for the group, they just had to figure out the best way to take advantage of it. But along with ideas and hopes, the confirmation brought many questions to his thoughts, and he found them racing as he was flooded with wonders of how the plane got there, what kind of plane it was, what happened to the people that were on it, and most importantly, could they use the parts as a ticket off this island?

“Do you think you’ll be able to reconstruct the plane or something, or are you just bringing us pointless information?” Kokichi asked for him, expression painfully skeptical.

“I cant say for sure yet,” Iruma mumbled. “I wont know until we can get all of the parts together. And right now, my best guess is that, not counting the three mechs I've been able to look at, we could be dealing with one or two more. The parts I have access to are _almost_ enough to put together a functioning engine, and once I have that, I think I might be able to use the parts from out own plane to make a whole new one.”

Did that mean it really was possible? Would they finally be getting off this island? But something about her words stuck out to Shuuichi, and he decided that he would hold back on the pattern until she left and he could share it only Kokichi. Besides, the other may have already noticed what he had.

“That’s amazing Iruma! This just means we should really focus on finding that red mech on top everything else, but I think that if any group can accomplish so much, it would be everyone we have here with us.” Shuuichi was hoping his words didn't come across as being too cliche, feeling as if Kaito’s optimism was rubbing off on him more than he had noticed beforehand. Luckily, the girl simply nodded.

“Like I’d need you to tell me something so obvious, Shittyhara! Just find that stupid red mech and leave the rest of the work to the genus standing in front of you!”

“There’s a genius in front of us?! Where?!” Kokichi chattered, looking up at Iruma with an innocent expression that just served to scream that he knew exactly what she meant.

Iruma’s face contorted into irritation, glaring down at the small boy. “Shut it, shrimpdick! You know exactly who I’m talking about!”

“Oh yeah, you’re right…” Kokichi mumbled, demeanor flipping entirely as he turned to glance at Shuuichi. “There is a genius here!”

“Not him!” Iruma shouted in frustration while Shuuichi felt his face heat up.

Tugging his hat down, he gently shoved Kokichi’s side, urging the other turn and walk away from the blonde. “We’ll see you later Iruma, and if you need help with anything, please just let us—“ a loud groan came from beside him, “me know!”

Halfway dragging Kokichi away, he pulled the other from their spot behind the cabins.

He genuinely hoped Iruma would actually take him up on the offer. If she happened to make any more breakthroughs with the potential of constructing a functioning plane, then he wanted to be able to take part in furthering something so important for the group. But first, he had something else he wanted to discuss.

“You noticed what she was saying about the mechs, too, right?” He asked under his breath, making sure that only Kokichi was listening to him as he led the way into the boys’ cabin.

“She said a lot about the mechs, you’re going to have to be a little bit more specific than that, my beloved,” he whispered back. Well, at least he wasn't being frustrating by just yelling across the entire cabin.

Shuuichi led the way to his own room, Kokichi drawing a loud gasp and making some comment about how he was clearly spending too much time talking with Iruma if he was letting the smaller boy into his room, but Shuuichi chose to ignore the comment. “I mean, about how many mechs she thinks there are in total.”

Kokichi’s playful expression dropped in favor of one much more neutral and thoughtful. “So you can count, too?”

“Please, Kokichi, can we be serious about this?”

“I am being serious,” he huffed before continuing. “We know about three for sure, and she said there was likely one or two more mechs on this island, and I take it you’re putting your money on there being two more, aren't you?”

Shuuichi nodded.

Expression still not shifting, Kokichi seemed reluctant to comment on his certainty, which Shuuichi thought was understandable, but he couldn't see it being anything else.

“Five,” was all he said, and Kokichi quietly echoed the number.

So far, the island had been seeming to target the group. Whether it be through unpredictable weather, violent mechs, territorial polar bears, or raging fires. But looking back, it seemed that there was something guiding them along. Something that had told them exactly where they were, where they now are, and where they were going.

And now it was telling them how many mechs there were on the island.

“The first number in the sequence was five, and every number in that set has been about the island, so I think it’s perfectly safe to assume that the number matches how many mechs are here, especially given that it matches so well with Iruma’s estimate…” Shuuichi’s voice trailed off at the end as he noticed that Kokichi had yet to react to a single thing that he had said.

“No, I don't think that’s right,” he finally spoke up, spiking confusion in the detective. “And it’s because of something you just said, that the numbers have been about the island. I don't think that’s it. I don't doubt that there is an underlying connection between the numbers, but I don't think it’s the island. If it was, then why would our departure and arrival gates be included? Those have nothing to do with this place. Five _could_ be about the mechs, but I think it would be in our best interest to wait until we know the true pattern behind the numbers to take that theory to heart.”

“Maybe the sequence has to do with the plane crash?” Shuuichi suggested, unsure of what else he could even guess as being the constant behind the numbers. “Either way, I do believe that there will only be five mechs on this island, no more and no less.”

Kokichi still seemed doubtful, almost as if he was ready to argue with the idea, but cut himself off when he saw Shuuichi’s determined expression. “Alright. You may be right, and we cant know until we _know_.”

Shuuichi was relieved that the other was going along with his own theory, even if only part of the way. “I think we should call it a night, then. We’re going to need plenty of rest if we’re going to continue searching for the red mech and maybe another one all day tomorrow, too.”

“Aw, but I don't wanna leave my Shumai yet!” Kokichi whined, reaching out to wrap his arms around Shuuichi stubbornly.

 _Then don’t,_ Shuuichi carefully refrained from muttering, not sure if it would be taken the wrong way if he offered to let Kokichi stay for the night. Then again, would it even be considered as being taken the wrong way given how… close they had gotten?

He looked down to see a surprised Kokichi looking up at him. “Is Shuuichi inviting me to a sleep over at his place?” Shit, did he say that out loud?

“Oh, uh, what I meant was—“ Shuuichi’s words rushed out of him, desperately trying to backpedal from what he had accidentally said. Was he seriously so stupid and tired as to invite Kokichi to stay the night?!

“Because I’d have to accept if he did!”

“I didn't meant to… Wait what?” Shuuichi froze in confusion, watching as Kokichi unlatched himself from his grip around him and flung himself to Shuuichi’s bed of plane cushions and tattered blankets that everyone in the group had in their own rooms. Perks of crashing on a deserted island he supposed included beds of the most uncomfortable possible materials. Then again it was better than the floor and dirty ground outside of the cabin.

“Wow is Shumai ignoring me now?” Kokichi questioned from where he had dropped onto the stiff cushions. “And here I thought he was in love with me or something!”

Deciding not to respond to that last part, Shuuichi rolled his eyes and followed Kokichi, unsure of what he should even be doing right then.

But he didn't have to spend too long trying to figure it out, as Kokichi reached a hand out to grip Shuuichi’s wrist and yank him down next to him, immediately curling up against him with yelp coming from the taller boy as he was pulled down. “G’night, Shuuichi,” Kokichi muttered, settling in faster than the detective could even process what was happening. 

After a few minutes, he felt himself calming down from he rush of confusion, hand unconsciously reaching to run his fingers through a mess of dark purple strands. “Goodnight, Kokichi,” he whispered, unsure if the other boy was even awake to hear it.

If he wasn't so tired, then he probably would've noticed how the smaller body lying against his own relaxed further into him at the soft words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i actually dont rlly have anything to say for once so uhhhh, good luck on finals if theyre coming up for u too and uhhhhh,, see yall in the next chapter
> 
> tumblr @relictior


	23. Chapter 23

The next few days passed by uneventfully, much to Shuuichi’s distaste.

Despite the group’s sense of rallying encouragement that came following the conclusion of their investigation into the fire that claimed the ship, they had not managed to make any significant strides in their search for an outsider who would've attacked them. But that was not what Shuuichi was upset about. Rather, his worries came that if he and Kokichi were not able to make any successful strides forward in uncovering the identity of the traitor, his lie would be exposed to the group and they would collapse back into the disarray that he was specifically trying to avoid.

He was fully aware that he was walking a very think line now between doing wrong for the later benefit of the group and doing wrong simply for his own selfish benefit. At this point, he was willing for just about anything to change so that they could have _some_ kind of change to gather the group’s attention.

The time he had, he spent with the group, waiting for something to come up and give him some kind clue as to who was behind the setbacks that plagued the survivors. Meanwhile, Kokichi had taken to leaving the group behind once more, acting to isolate himself while acting as though the cause went back to being offended over the group collectively accusing him of betraying the, due to his absence for most of the meeting. Unbeknownst to their friends, the small boy was actually busying himself searching for the remaining mech.

The first day that he had decided to go out into the jungle alone on his search, Shuuichi had argued with him, careful to point out exactly how dangerous it was, given that he was _specifically_ looking for a mech that had caused a severe concussion, and was the same type of machine that had assaulted and chased Kaede and Amami. This only seemed to earn him reassurances that the other would watch out around him and didn't trust anyone there enough to let them convince him that hiding in a “bright green death machine” was a good idea. 

Over the days of this pattern repeating, Shuuichi felt his anxiety over letting Kokichi wander off into the deep of the jungle alone fade to the back of his mind as he was too busy focusing on helping the others grow a garden and search for another inhabitant that he knew that they wouldn't find.

By the end of the fourth stagnant day, he was more than ready to go back to the cabins so that he could find out if Kokichi had found anything that day. This would mean getting the group he was with to either agree to all turn back or to let Shuuichi go back on his own, neither possibility seeming very likely to happen anytime soon.

Especially given that they were more than determined to scour every last unexplored inch of the island if it meant tat they could find even a hint that there was at least one other person there.

Kaito, he had noticed, was probably the most excited over the idea of there being someone else there, although Shuuichi doubted the honesty behind the sentiment. But that didn't stop the other from leading the small search group with words of encouragement any time that they grew hesitant in their search.

His words were not lost on Shuuichi, he had to admit, as he felt himself relax at the excitable voice. Behind him, Kiibo and Kaede following in a single file line, and he could practically feel their optimism in the air. Despite not finding a single clue in the four days that they had searched so far, they hadn't given up, still continuing to search the island, groups shuffling around between all of the survivors. Today’s route had taken them around what Shuuichi was fairly certain was the western edge of the island, if he remembered the rule about where the sun sets and rises correctly. And despite having been walking since the sun first rose, much to Shuuichi’s reluctance, his friends refused to let the walk go, refusing to accept for the fourth day in a row that they wouldn't be able to find anything new.

Shuuichi almost hoped along with them. Almost.

He was a little too busy worrying about how they would react when they failed to find anything left over from any other inhabitants on the entire island. And if his thoughts turned to how his friends would feel betrayed by him for planting false hope that led them to failure and disappointment, then that was for him to know and overthink about.

As they walked, they reached a sudden break in the thick growth of the jungle, the group coming to an unexpected stop when hey based through the break, taking in the sights around them. The sound of water, cascading down across smooth, dark stone thundered in Shuuichi’s ears, the detective staring out in awe at the sight of the massive waterfall in front of them as it collided with the smooth pool of water below it. His eyes followed the clear blue in amazement, looking at the gentle twists and turns that the water took away from the path that they had been walking moments before. 

But that wasn't what distracted Shuuichi from his worries.

“Look how clear the water is!” Kaede said excitedly, rushing forward from the group to kneel at the water’s edge and reaching a hand into the water. “It’s cool too! It actually feels pretty nice compared to the jungle…”

“Do you think it’s safe to swim in?” Kaito asked, “I mean, we all need something to relieve stress, don't we?”

Kiibo seemed to disagree with the sentiment. “There is no way this water is safe! It has to be filled with dangerous bacteria.”

As Kaito and Kaede continued going back and forth with excitement over they newest discovery, Shuuichi couldn't help but feel a wave of relief. This could be exactly the kind of distraction that he needed in order to keep the rest of the group from finishing their exploration of the island before he and Kokichi could make any important strides forward in their investigation. But then he felt guilt over the fact that he was only seeing something that could be so emotionally beneficial to the group in the ways that it would help him only.

“We should probably tell the group about this,” Shuuichi spoke up, trying to ignore the way his voice wavered as he spoke. Judging by Kaede’s expression as she turned to look at him, he assumed that the nerves he was feeling were probably being blamed on the water itself. “I mean, it’s getting dark soon, so I just think it might be better if we just wait to… enjoy the waterfall and pool when we have the day on our side.”

“Plus that way we can get everyone in on it,” Kaito agreed. “Sounds like a great plan, bro!”

“Bro…?” Shuuichi echoed quietly, trying to push back the guilt gnawing at him. _I lied to all of you, purposefully misled you for my own selfish reasons,_ he thought to himself, instinctually reaching up to run his fingers along the rim of his hat. “Let’s just… head back for now, yeah? And besides, I don't really think that everyone would want to swim anyways.”

Kiibo gave him a grateful look at the last bit, and it was almost enough to rid him of the gross, overwhelming feelings sinking into his mind.

* * *

Much to Shuuichi’s disappointment, Kokichi had the same news that he had every other day since the group meeting took place.

“It’s like the mechs _know_ I’m looking for them or something,” he mumbled as he kicked at the pine needles littering the ground beneath the two boys. “An for all we know, that could be entirely true!”

Four days and they still had not found a single clue of the whereabouts of the red mech or any hints of any other mechs that they had yet to discover. 

“Whatever,” Kokichi muttered, “Did you find anything today?”

“Not really, we just walked around the west side on a new route. The most notable thing we found was just some waterfall and another river.” Shuuichi wasn't sure if he relayed the information with relief or irritation. Sure, he had wanted more than anything to keep from finding what the group was busy searching the island for, but he would give anything to break the monotonous pattern that they had fallen into. Maybe the waterfall really would be more helpful than he expected.

A pair of hands suddenly pulling him downward by the collar of his shirt took his attention away from his watering thoughts as he was yanked down to awkwardly lean eye to eye with a Kokichi who was practically vibrating in sudden excitement.

“Where?!”

“Uh, just along the west side of the island.” Shuuichi barely managed to get the words out before the hands left his color to grab him by the wrist, dragging the confused detective long as Kokichi decided on his own that they were apparently going to go back to the waterfall that night. “Kokichi! We can't just go right now! It’ll be too dark out to actually tell where we’re going.”

His words fell on deaf ears as the other boy pulled him away.

Shuuichi felt himself growing frustrated as Kokichi led the way into the jungle, despite not having any idea where he was going, looking over his shoulder at Shuuichi for directions every few minutes. But this wasn't what they needed to be doing, and Kokichi knew that! They _needed_ to be getting rest so that they could continue searching for the remaining mechs, and if they were going to be sneaking out over night, then they should at least be doing that instead of wasting precious time on pointless distractions like some random waterfall that they had found.

By the time that they could hear the rushing waters, Shuuichi’s patience was wearing thin.

_This is not what we need to be doing right now._

Kokichi broke through the tree line at the age of the water just as Kaito had earlier that day, grip finally letting Shuuichi go as he bounded to the edge of the water excitedly, looking over at the falling mess of water shaded into darkness by the night that held the island. 

Before Shuuichi could even realize what was happening, a familiar checkered scarf had been thrown into his fcae, blocking his views as he heard a loud crash of water. Quickly removing the fabric from his eyes, the detective stared down at where Kokichi had jumped into the water, not even bothering to worry about the fact that he had just gotten all of his clothes soaked in jumping into the previously calm water with only his scarf missing.

“Your clothes are all wet now!” Was all that Shuuichi managed to get out at first, but he quickly regained himself, his worries and frustrations from early returning as he watched the other boy floating in the water without a care in the world that they had _many_ better places to be right then. “Come one Kokichi, we cant be wasting time like this!”

“Come on, Shumai,” Kokichi huffed from the water, giving a loud and exaggerated sigh. “You need to learn how to take a step back and relax. I’m tired of seeing you run yourself into the dirt over and over again! Do I have to tell more shitty puns to get you to unwind?”

Shuuichi groaned in frustration, voice raising past it’s usual quiet demeanor as he bit back, Kokichi slowly rising from the water as he started up. “I’m stressed because I need to be! We don't exactly have all the time in the world, and if we cant find the mechs and the plane parts before the group realizes that I _intentionally_ misled— basically lied!to all of their faces then they’re going to hate me! And then they’re going to go back to fighting each other over who betrayed them because they’ll know it was one of them, and these past four days of investigation will have all been for nothing, and-“

He had been too wrapped up in his rant to notice Kokichi walking up to him until the shorter boy had shoved against him with all his strength and the water of the gentle river came rushing up to meet him. Frantically, he resurfaced, gasping for breath as he looked over to see a grinning Kokichi, hat in hand. Not bothering to listen to Shuuichi’s declaration of betrayal, he jumped back into the water with the detective, the water splashing the dark haired boy as he did.

“Alright, Shuuichi, you need to listen for a second,” Kokichi started when he came back up from the dark water. “And I mean actually listen, like stop thinking and just listen to me here.”

Shuuichi gave a slow, cautious nod, prompting Kokichi to continue on with whatever he had to say that was so important.

“You are literally going to kill yourself stressing like this. You’re keeping yourself from resting, and you’re overworking yourself. Which don't combine well with being on an island with dangerous mechs, wild polar bears, and anonymous arsonists.” Shuuichi opened his mouth to argue that he was stressed the proper amount, nothing more, when Kokichi held a finger up to his own lips, silently shushing him so that he could continue. “None of your friends are going to hate you if they find out that you lied to them. Trust me, telling them that you think there could maybe, possibly be someone else on the island after you all came to conclusion that none of you could have been the traitor is far from the worst lie that you could have told. Honestly, I’m not even sure that it qualifies as a lie. Everything will be alright, Shuuichi. And that’s not a lie.”

Shuuichi stayed silent in the water after that, letting the words sink in. “But what if they hate me anyways…”

“Oh, please,” Kokichi rolled his eyes, voice filling with amusement. “I don't think there’s a single person on this planet who could hate you. I’m pretty sure that you could like, outright murder someone, and the witnesses would still defend you.”

“I don't think that’s how that would work at all,” Shuuichi argued, words failing to disguise the way that Kokichi had actually managed to reassure him.

With that, they fell into a comfortable silence until Kokichi suddenly splashed Shuuichi, grinning from ear to ear.

Maybe this was something Shuuichi needed right now. To be pulled to a waterfall and shoved into a river so that he could be distracted from the thoughts dragging him down. Someone to ground him as he was tugged around by anxieties over losing the people that he had grown so close with since they all crashed on the island together. A liar to tell him the truth.

Shuuichi splashed him back.

* * *

Apparently, spending hours in the water at a time of night when you were usually trying to sleep was actually quite exhausting, much to Shuuichi’s surprise. He had gone to sit at the edge of the river a while ago, watching from the smooth stone as Kokichi continued to float around lazily, reciting stories of the various adventures and accomplishments he claimed his secret organization had been behind.

Out of those stories, Shuuichi was able to identify the plots of several movies, tv shows, and books.

“And get this! All of it happened on Christmas Eve.” Kokichi concluded his latest story as he swam closer to the waterfall, making his way to climb the stone beside it and eye is curiously.

“I’m pretty sure you just recounted the plot of Die Hard to me, but I guess I’ll take it,” Shuuichi said, closing his eyes and leaning back. As long as Kokichi didn't get himself knocked over by the waterfall, then he could take the moment to keep relaxing. Although they should probably head back to the cabins soon, he supposed, staying out all night wouldn't really be good for either of them, and it’d be ideal to get at least a little sleep before he’d have to walk back to the same waterfall for the third time tomorrow. Or maybe technically later today. He wasn't exactly sure what time it was at the moment.

A sudden shout jolted him back into being fully alert, Shuuichi sitting upright and snapping his eyes back open to look to Kokichi. It didn't exactly take a genius to figure out why the other had freaked out.

Standing by the cascading water, Kokichi must have reached a hand out to feel the water, but as he looked now, Shuuichi took in the blatant fact tat he hadn't stopped there, and that he was currently up to his shoulder reaching into the waterfall.

“Air! There’s air back there!” He shouted over the crashing of the water, Shuuichi didn't hesitate to climb back into the water so that he could get to Kokichi, and when he pressed a hand through the heavy force of the water.

Sure enough, where Shuuichi had been expecting to hit rock or dirt, he found nothing but empty air behind the wall of water. He turns back to face Kokichi again, unsure of what he should even say about something like this, but he didn't need to bother thinking of any words to capture his surprise and awe in the moment though, seeing as the smaller boy next to him apparently knew exactly what _he_ had in mind.

“Kokichi!” He yelped as the other practically jumped into the water, crashing against it before disappearing behind. For a few moments, there was no sound, and Shuuichi worried over what could have possibly even been on the other side of the water, and what had possibly happened to render Kokichi silent.

A few more times he attempted to call the other’s name before a familiar hand reached back out through the waterfall, blindly moving around before finally grabbing Shuuichi by the arm and yanking him forward into yet more water, the detective slamming his eyes shut as he dreaded what was going to happen to him when he reached the other side, the water pressing down against him forcefully.

When the pressure suddenly vanished, he opened his eyes to darkness. Wiping away the water that had gotten into his face and eyes, he tried again, waiting impatiently for his eyes to adjust until he was able to see a small silhouette standing in front of him, outline barely visible thanks to the shine of the moon and stars that fought separately to break through the waterfall and into what was at least some kind of cavern.

Around him, the sound of the water echoed on, making the area that Kokichi had pulled him into somehow feel both impossibly big and small at the same time.

“Hey,” the shape next to him whispered, excitement laced into his voice. “I found a cave.”

Shuuichi had to admit that he was more than a little surprised that he could hear the other so easily and clearly over the sound of the crashing water. “So you did.”

“Too bad it’s pitch black back here right now.”

“We should probably come back when it’s bright out. Which I guess means that you should join the group tomorrow instead of searching for mechs are your own,” Shuuichi said.

“Sounds like I will.”

“Which means we should probably call it a night, don't you think?” He prompted, the darkness of the cave beginning to unsettle him. After all, who knew what could be in there with them? Given what they had found so far on the island, absolutely nothing would be impossible, and he wasn't super eager to find out what lay hidden in the shadows behind the waterfall.

Kokichi hummed in agreement. “Time to figure out how to get out of this place!”

“You mean you didn't hint about that part _before_ just jumping back here,” Shuuichi mumbled. “Somehow, I’m not surprised.”

A mischievous snicker was his answer before Kokichi nudged him in the direction of the water. “Well, back we go! Everyone else will just have to wait until morning to hear about our super cool, top-secret for the rest of the night cave!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ouma, upon dragging saihara into a mysterious cave behind a waterfall: hello ~~mtv~~ saihara-chan, im kokichi ouma and welcome to my crib


	24. Chapter 24

With light came discoveries that Shuuichi was entirely unprepared for. Together, he and Kokichi had decided against revealing their late night exploration of the waterfall to the group, and instead had gone with the rest of the group in the morning without mentioning anything. 

At first, the group going to the waterfall had only included the same group that had first discovered it with the additions of Maki and Kokichi. But when Yumeno expressed interest in seeing the waterfall herself, the group caught onto the excitement until the only ones that chose to remain back at the cabins were Shirogane and Tojo, who explained that someone would need to keep an eye on Amami still. Shuuichi’s excitement over the fact that the other had been recovering well and would likely be able to rejoin the rest of the group in activities around the cabins soon carried him through the jungle despite his exhaustion from the late night trek he had made to and from the same exact spot the night prior.

Once they were there, though, the group had reached levels of excitement that he honestly hadn't been expecting, everyone relieved to have a way to rest for the day. That was, of course, until Kokichi had made a show of daring a frightened Kiibo to stand under the waterfall. 

Shuuichi was far from surprised when Kiibo outright refused the dare, but that was all it took for Chabashira to declare that she wasn't a coward, unlike the men of the group, and take the roboticist’s place in the dare, leading to her realizing that there wasn't anything behind the sheet of water. Once she had declared her discovery, the group had rushed to join her. Even Kiibo, who had to struggle around the very edge of the river in order to avoid swimming to get to the waterfall had joined them in front of the thundering water.

Thanks to the sun filtering through the water pouring down, Shuuichi was able to actually see what the inside of the cave looked like, but nothing could have prepared him for the sight.

Where he and Kokichi had stood close the night before, they would have been more than safe to take a few more steps into the cave. Or more than a few, given that the cavern extended far enough back that he was beginning to wonder whether the cave or the cabins were larger. That wasn't what had gotten everyone’s attention when they journeyed behind the falls and into the spacious area past it. No, that honor went to the items scattered around the floor of the cave, tattered and torn fabrics, coated in dirt and dust from lack of use where they were laid around the cavern, untouched by wind or people since they were left there.

Those pieces of fabric being rather large and appearing to be more than a little cushioned.

“Are those… sleeping bags?”

Shuuichi wasn't sure who even asked that, not caring enough about who it was to bother trying to figure it out. He was too busy taking in the fact that there was indisputable evidence now being placed before the group, in the form of dirtied sleeping bags laid across the ground behind a waterfall, that there was, at some point in the history of this island, other people here.

His lie… his bluff… was somehow right?

As the rest of the group regained themselves, they grew excited, thrilled by their discovery, which Shuuichi supposed was to be expected. After all, they had been searching for something exactly like this all over the island for what would now be five days. But he just couldn't join in their excitement, too busy worrying over what exactly this kind of discovery would mean for the group, and maybe even any other people that could possibly be there with them on the island.

 _Everything here is covered in dirt and dust, though,_ he thought to himself, _The bags are probably mildly from the waterfall’s spray, too._

Shuuichi wasn't sure of much in his life, but he was sure about one thing: whoever had left these sleeping bags behind left them a long time ago, and he didn't think they left the remains behind because they were rescued from the island.

But it was clear that he was the only one on that train of thought, the rest of the group excitedly shouting over their discovery. He wondered what this meant they would do next. The survivors had taken to blaming a separate group of outsiders for burning their ship down, so what would they do now that they had evidence of other people here?

“Now what?” Kiibo asked, excitement flickering away quickly as he grew confused and anxious. Shuuichi noted to himself that the roboticist didn't seem to be a huge fan of the idea of other people being there with them.

On the other hand, Kaito threw his fists into the air triumphantly. “We make them pay for it, duh! They ruined our way off of this island, so we ought to teach them a lesson about what happens when you mess with the survivors.”

“Aren’t they technically survivors, too?” Maki asked quietly, looking to the ground with knitted brows before continuing, “We don't know anything about these others, so for all we know, they could be dangerous.”

“More dangerous than burning the ship down?” Iruma asked, rolling her eyes.

“Perhaps we should seek them out and watch from a distance before doing anything. That way, we can be certain of how they behave before we strike,” Korekiyo suggested. 

Shuuichi shudders at the statement, not really wanting to know why it sounded so clean and rehearsed, but decided to ignore it for now. Besides, he did have a bit of a good idea, even if it could have been delivered better. “I agree with Korekiyo, we shouldn't do anything too… rash.”

“Come on, sidekick! Sometimes rash is what people need in order to get things done!”

“I’m tired of looking for these people,” Yumeno said, “Why don't we just keep a better eye on our stuff instead?”

Chabashira gave a sharp nod of agreement. “Yes! That way we wont have to divide all of our attention and we can focus on escaping again!”

Yumeno muttered something about Chabashira not having to agree with everything she said, but it fell on deaf ears as everyone’s attention was once again recaptured by Kaito. “After all the time we spent searching for something exactly like what we found? No way, that would just make the past four days a complete waste. They don't know that we know about them, I still say we strike first!”

“Can you not count? Or did you just forget that they already struck first? You were there when our entire ship was burned to the ground, right?” Kokichi questioned the other quickly, making him bristle in frustration with the smaller boy.

“Of course I can count! And I meant what I said!”

“At least one of those has to be wrong in order for the other to be true, you do realize that, right? Or are you seriously that stupid?”

“I’m not stupid!”

Shuuichi sighed to himself in exasperation at the two, unsure of what exactly he could do to diffuse the situation, especially when Chabashira, Iruma, and Angie all took over in insulting Kaito on behalf of Kokichi, each exclaiming how bad of an idea that they thought it would be to blindly seek out and attack the other inhabitants of the island.

“What if we just lay low for now? We can wait until they do something else against us, and then we can catch them in the act?” Shuuichi suggested, genuinely concerned that no one would be able to hear him over the sound of the others’ arguing.

Thankfully, they quieted in their bickering at the suggestion, although Kaito was still clearly tense and defensive over it.

“So you’re essentially proposing some kind of stakeout?” Maki asked, although she didn't seem too averse to the idea.

“Basically, yes,” Shuuichi nodded. “The times that they’ve come after us have been when we were improving our teamwork or getting closer to finding a way off the island, so it would make sense that they would continue with this pattern.”

“Then we bait them and catch them!” Kaito cheered.

All they would need was something that followed that pattern that the others had supposedly taken to, and to assign different survivors to monitor it in secret in the hopes that they would strike once more.

“Gonta believes that his friends should watch the garden.” Everyone’s attention turned to the green haired boy at his suggestion.

Shuuichi had to admit that, given the ways in which they had been hindered in their attempts to escape the island so far, it made sense that someone attempting to continue the pattern would go after their permanent supply of food. Glancing around the group, he saw only agreement and optimistic expression, all aside from a doubtful look from Kokichi. _He thinks he figured something out again, doesn't he?_

“That’s a good idea, Gonta,” Kiibo said. “We can take turns watching the garden in pairs, that way we can catch the others when they try to ruin it.”

With the group sold on the idea, they began to determine assignments and shifts, dividing themselves into pairs, Kokichi practically leaping at the opportunity to claim Shuuichi as his partner as soon as the opportunity presented himself. In a prefect world, this could work. But this was not a perfect world, and the island had made that painfully clear time and time again.

* * *

Sitting watch over the garden had proven to be much more relaxing than Shuuichi had expected, the smaller boy quietly gazing at the starlit sky above them. He seemed somehow peaceful despite everything that had happened.

Shuuichi could not relate any less.

His mind was still questioning the age of the sleeping bags and exactly how long it had been since they were last used. And on top of that, he found his thoughts returning back to the expression Kokichi had worn earlier when the group had created this stakeout plan, unable to figure out what it could have been that he had realized while the rest of the survivors had been so excited with their new plan.

“You don't seriously think this is going to work, right?”

Shuuichi looked over to the other curiously, unsure of exactly what he was asking about.

“The stakeout idea. No one’s going to burn down the plants or whatever,” he explained, gaze not breaking from the stars above their heads.

“Why wouldn't it work?”

_What did you figure out?_

“The pattern isn't just _anything_ that would negatively affect us, it’s things that negatively affect us getting off of this island specifically. Akamatsu and Amami had taken up the role of leader when we first got here, unintentionally or not. I was about to get to the number sequence. Then the ship that we were going to use to leave was burned down.”

Shuuichi considered the words, but couldn't help throwing questions back at the smaller boy, turning his own eyes back up to the stars as he did. “That doesn't necessarily mean that they won’t change tactics, though.”

“They didn't do anything to the cabins.”

Okay, he definitely had a good point with that one.

If the person doing this to them was solely trying to negatively impact them, then they would target anything they could. But to leave a permanent living structure in tact?

_It’s almost like they want to keep us here more than they want to harm us._

“There was something else,” Shuuichi started, expression twisting with thought as he spoke, “Whoever left those sleeping bags isn't here anymore, and they haven't been for a long time.”

Kokichi finally shifted his gaze from the sky and to the detective.

“There was so much dirt and dust on the fabric that it wouldn't have made any sense to claim that those sleeping bags had been used any time recently. I’d bet all of my money that if we looked close enough at the bags that they would be filled with mold and mildew at this point. We truly are alone on this island.”

“So what do you think happened to the other people that left the sleeping bags there?”

Someone more optimistic, maybe Kaito or Akamatsu, would probably answer that they were rescued from the island. But considering everything that they had been faced with so far, the dangerous animals that had attacked them, the mechs that had basically hunted them down, and that painful fact that the supplies that the group once had were still in that cavern, his answer was not optimistic.

“I think they died here.”

Kokichi was silent at that theory, and the detective concluded that they must have both been thinking the same thing. Maybe they just wanted to hear from someone else that they had a chance to escape the island with their lives. Maybe they both just wanted to hear the other one say it. Because in that moment, the silence was suffocating.

“Hey, Shumai,” Kokichi whispered.

“Yeah?” He whispered back.

“We’re not going to be like them.”

Before Shuuichi could ask why exactly he felt so confident in making such a bold claim, the smaller boy got to his feet, reaching out a hand to the detective which he took with some confusion.

“Do you still think it was one of the survivors that burnt down the ship?” He asked.

“Yes,” Shuuichi answered, unsure of how he was able to answer the question so easily. “I do. We’re the only ones on this island, whether we like it or not. It was one of us.”

Kokichi gave a short nod. “Then let’s figure this thing out before the group catches up to us! First thing’s first, everyone’s a suspect. Second, we need to figure out where the mechs came from. And we need to find the other mechs that are still somewhere on the island. I could keep looking around for them like I have been doing, but in past, we’ve only found them on accident or because they found us first, so I propose we put that search on the back burner and wait for it to happen on its own.”

“So what would we focus on for right now?”

“You’re probably expecting me to say the people, but hear me out on this,” Kokichi started, earning him a cautious look from Shuuichi that only served to make him grin smugly as he continued on. “Looking at the people themselves didn't work last time, so we just have to work backwards. Meaning that we start with the mechs. We have confirmation that they were from a plane, so it’s painfully obvious that the people from the caves were on that plane when it crashed, and that somehow, one, some, or all of them created the mechs. Given the functions of the mechs, they probably did so with the intention of protecting themselves from the dangers living on the island.”

Shuuichi’s caution faded away as the other shared his proposal to work backwards through their evidence. It would definitely take significantly more time than searching through the people they were on the island with first and foremost, but given how that plan had only sent them running into dead ends before, he had to admit that it was a solid plan. 

“I think it could also serve to our benefit if we can figure out the origins of the warehouse while we’re at it,” he suggested. “It could help to figure out how they were able to put the mechs together in the first place.”

Kokichi considered the words before giving Shuuichi a wide smile, “Then it’s decided!”

“Wait, what’s decided?!”

“I’m going to keep investigating the people here, and you’re going to use your detective superpowers to figure out what the warehouse is here for! Keep up, Shuuichi!” He explained rather loudly. “Besides, I’m starting to think that we wont be able to get off this island until we figure out those numbers, and we still don't have the slightest clue what two of them are.”

“I thought we agreed that five was how many mechs-“

“Not the slightest clue!” Kokichi cut him off with a dramatic sigh.

Shuuichi found himself smiling softly at the other’s theatrics. “Well, we’ll just have to see whose theory is correct on that.”

“Too bad there’s nothing we can do about it right now. Instead we just have to sit here and look at the sky like we’re Momota or something gross like that.”

The smaller boy took the moment to flop back down to the ground, attention turning back to the stars above them. Slowly, Shuuichi followed suit, laying next to the other with his hands clasped together over his own chest. Judging by the way that the other boy had relaxed back into watching the clouds slowly drift across the dark sky above them, he had a feeling he wasn't entirely upset to spend the new few hours watching the endless darkness until another pair of survivors came to watch over the garden after them.

As he lay next tot he smaller boy, he felt himself relax into the soft ground. Maybe they really could do this. Suddenly, solving the island’s mysteries didn't seem so impossible, and neither did getting away from it with everyone else alive.

Kokichi was right, they wouldn't be like that other group that crashed here before them.

They were going to make it. And they were going to make it together.

“It’s kind of fascinating isn't it?” Kokichi broke into his thoughts.

Shuuichi looked over to see that he was back to staring at the stars, the distant light reflecting in the deep purple of a suddenly peaceful gaze.

“So far away from home, completely and utterly lost to the world, and yet here we are, looking up to the same sky and stars as the rest of the world tonight. Maybe, back home, your uncle could even be looking at the same exact sky that you are right now, despite time and distance you could still be doing something together.”

The words hit a little closer to Shuuichi’s heart than he’d care to say. He hadn't even stopped to think about everyone back home since they had crashed on the island, too busy trying to help the group to make it to the next day to even consider those he had been forced to leave behind. But somehow, the sentiment was almost comforting, because it was true. Even after everything, he suddenly felt much less alone than he had been.

He wasn't alone, even without the group, he wouldn't be alone. He still had someone out there, looking to the same stars as him.

“Your…” Shuuichi hesitated, realizing that Kokichi had never spoken much truth of his life before the plane crash to even him, “Your organization, whoever they are,” he tried, voice quiet and unsure, “They’re probably doing the same… looking at the sky and all, I mean.”

The detective tried not to physically cringe at how scrambled his words had come out. How had Kokichi managed to say something so poetic so easily only to have Shuuichi try to return it completely and utterly butchered like that?

“Maybe,” Kokichi muttered beside him, but Shuuichi didn't dare look over to him, even as he felt the smaller boy’s gaze being turned to him, fearing that his embarrassment over the poorly delivered reassurance would be too obvious if he did. “It doesn't matter, though, I already know that the person I want to share this view with the most is already watching.”

Shuuichi wondered who Kokichi was referring to.

He pushed back the question, not wanting to make the other feel like he was being interrogated.

* * *

The next morning, more members of the group had asked to visit the cavern behind the waterfall, which lead Shuuichi and Kaede to bring Tojo and Shirogane to the newly discovered cave. Tojo had seemed curious over what the cavern held, but Shuuichi couldn't help but notice as Shirogane grew nervous the closer that the got to the cave.

Falling back from where he had been walking alongside Kaede on a path that had grown quite familiar to him after walking back and forth between the waterfall and the cabins so many times over the past few days, he came to walk side by side with the blue haired girl.

“Nervous?” Shuuichi asked, giving the girl a small, warm smile.

She looked to him and politely returned the expression, and if he wasn't a detective trained to pick up on the small things in people’s expressions, in their subtle twitches and tells, he might not have noticed the tense expression lying behind the smile. “A little, I suppose.”

“That’s understandable,” Shuuichi responded, trying his best to comfort the girl. “The confirmation that there are other people on the island is pretty intimidating.”

Shirogane nodded furiously, any and all attempts to disguise her nerves vanishing in an instant. “Exactly! Like what if they’re dangerous or something? We could be walking right into some kind of trap by going back to their cave, especially going back so many times in such quick succession.”

She did have a point, but Shuuichi was still perfectly content in his conclusion that the others were no longer anywhere on the island.

Well, he supposed that if they died here and their bodies were never found, then they were, technically, still somewhere on the island, and the thought made him sudden in discomfort. How had he not even thought of that before? Somewhere on this island, they were most likely going to run into at least one dead body if he was right. And then what? The group will freak out and go back to accusing one another of being the traitor again, and they’ll never make any progress if they go back to that mentality.

Even though she was nervous for all the wrong reasons, Shuuichi realized that she and everyone else definitely should be apprehensive of what the island kept from them, what they could one day stumble upon by sheer accident.

At his realization, the words of comfort he had lined up to reassure the blue haired girl died on his tongue, and he fell into an uncomfortable silence as they walked the rest of the way to the waterfall.

Up until then, he had been counting on everything _happening_ to go right in order for them to escape with their lives. But what if that didn't work like he wanted and they really did suffer the same fate as those who had crashed on the island before them? What if they were simply putting off the worst under the delusion of escape? What if Kokichi was wrong, and their fates were sealed the moment that their plane first hit turbulence?

* * *

It hadn't taken long for the rest of the group to grow anxious along with Shuuichi, worries over what the confirmation that other people were on the island at some point could mean for them spreading and engulfing them faster than the fire had the ship. The only exceptions seemed to be Kokichi and Hoshi, but Shuuichi supposed that Hoshi hadn't changed because they had already felt discouraged from the start, while Kokichi was most likely masking his apprehension if he was feeling it like he had masked nearly everything else during the group’s time together on the island.

The survivors seemed to feed off of each other’s negativity and pessimism by this point, even Angie and Korekiyo growing quieter than they typically were. It wasn't until Kokichi had practically forced Shuuichi into going to investigate the warehouse with him that they had even bothered to address the shift in everyone’s behavior.

While Kokichi had taken to scouring the aisles of racks littered with a seemingly endless assortment of various objects and tools, Shuuichi had taken to examining a row on his own. Which then turning into staying at the same rack the entire time as he considered just what would happened to the group if they were unable to solve the mysteries of the island.

He wasn't entirely sure how much time he had spent staring at the same one mechanical piece, lost in thought, when a pair of fingers snapped less than an inch from his eyes, making him jump and let out an undignified squeak of surprise.

“Hello? Anyone home?” Kokichi called out, practically screaming in Shuuichi’s face.

“Yes! You don't have to yell!”

Kokichi’s gaze narrowed suspiciously at the statement. “I think I do, given that I’ve been calling your name out for the past hour.”

“I refuse to believe that you’ve been doing that for _that_ long.”

“Fine, the past five minutes, but the point still stands that you were practically in a coma standing up.” Kokichi replied sharply. “What’s been up with you and everyone else lately? You seemed so ready to investigate the other night, and then suddenly you and everyone else just dropped! Even that space idiot said something about the possibility of us _not_ getting off the island this morning!”

He had? Shuuichi felt guilt wash over him. Had his bad mood really rubbed off on everyone so easily? He knew that they had taken to looking to him to guide them as of late, but he didn't think his negative feelings would affect them so easily…

“Shuuichi! Stop zoning out like that, you’re freaking me out!” Kokichi snapped, and Shuuichi nearly missed the waver in his voice that gave away a hint of genuine concern behind the biting tone. “Something weird is going on, and I do not like it.”

He was silent for a few moments before a quiet reply escaped him, and he wasn't sure if he even wanted Kokichi to hear it when he spoke. “I’m sorry, Kokichi, I didn't realize my nerves would get to everyone else like this.”

“You’re joking, right? This is clearly not your fault, so stop apologizing like that.”

“But—“

“I swear, it was like some kind of switch was flipped, but I cant figure out how or why,” he muttered to himself before turning his intense gaze back to the detective. “And you have no reason to accuse yourself of anything. Have you seriously already forgotten the other times you’ve been brought down since we crashed on the island? No one else reacted like this! Sure, they felt a little bummed out, I mean that’s what happens when their friend gets all emo, but this? It’s like you’ve all accepted the absolute worst over night! It doesn't make any sense!”

“Maybe they realized that the people that were here before us aren't on the island anymore,” Shuuichi suggested quietly. _Because they died before they could be rescued. Hopeless and alone,_ went unsaid.

Shuuichi was suddenly pulled eye-level with Kokichi, locking gazes with fiery violet.

“No. _Something weird is going on, and we’re going to figure it out._ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i finally updated the summary which was supposed to be a stand in that i replaced before publishing chapter one but i couldnt think of one until now  
> now for jokes, as usual lol
> 
> the past inhabitants of the island, upon finding a cliche ass cave behind a waterfall bc I'm a corny bitch who loves that trope more than i should: its free real estate
> 
> ~~sorry but the scene in-game where everyone is calling kaito an idiot is still fucking hilarious to me, sorry not sorry kaito~~
> 
> also,, shuuichi,,, ur the one who kokichi knows is watching the stars you _oblivious gay disaster_


	25. Chapter 25

Everyone was still acting absolutely ridiculous, in Kokichi’s opinion.

And this time, he was most definitely _not_ lying to himself. 

He wasn't even sure what had started it, but the group of survivors was suddenly significantly less… enthusiastic than usual. Thinking back, it definitely started after they discovered the cave behind the waterfall, so it was possible that they had figured out what he already had, and the realization that the last people on the island weren't rescued got to them.

But something about all of this wasn't right.

For starters, all of those gullible idiots had been so excited when they first found the cave, and with their observational skills, he seriously doubted that they had figured out what had happened to the past inhabitants of the island. So why the hell was everyones so suddenly down in the dumps? Shit, even Shuuichi was just as depressed over nothing as everyone else was. 

_Well at least he knows about what happened to the survivor from before, what’s everyone else’s excuse?_

Now, Kokichi sat against the wall of the cabin, watching as the occasional survivor came wandering out, mentally taking not of how each and every one of them was acting. If Shuuichi had left all the work to him to take care of, then he was going to take care of it. All he had to do was figure who was the most suspicious of the group, and with recent developments, he set his sights out to figure out who among them was feeling the most guilty among their already gloomy atmosphere.

Out of the group, he was able to divide everyone into two distinct groups, and that was made extremely obvious as he watched Kiibo as the other boy made his way from the cabins, glancing around nervously and taking short steps away from the cabin. Kokichi felt that it was safe to assume that the strange boy had gone to the garden, and he wondered how he would feel when he ran into Gonta there given that Kokichi had already watched the gentle giant head in that direction earlier that morning.

Yes, there were two clear groups that everyone there fit into. An of those two groups, Kiibo and Gonta easily fit into the one that he had taken to fondly referring to as _weird_.

The weird ones, he had concluded, were absolutely frustrating and unbelievably naive. But he also firmly believed that they couldn't be behind attacking the group, whether it was because they were too foolish like Gonta, too frightened and desperate to escape like Kiibo, or too unmotivated like Hoshi, who he did not think would be making any appearances with the new excuse of everyone else’s shitty moods to seal himself away all day.

Almost first thing when Kokichi had gone to camp outside of the cabins and watch everyone who left for the day and keep a careful eye on them, he had been able to start his _other_ category. Despite the early hour, a certain twin tailed girl walked out from the girls’ cabin, directing a suspicious glare at the boy as he watched her, returning the sentiment and sticking his tongue out at the girl. Yes, the other group, all of the members of which were decidedly _suspicious_.

So far, the suspicious group was, unfortunately, much larger than the weird group, but he was only just beginning his investigation, and by the end of the day, he anticipated that the groups would at least be even. The only ones he had cleared of suspicion at this point were Gonta, Kiibo, Hoshi, and Amami, while the rest of the survivors remained untrustworthy. 

Although Chabashira and Iruma had him on the verge of adding a third, annoying group, to his list. Either way, he found it safe to assume that the inventor and the girl who had made it extremely clear thus far that she wanted nothing more than to get the girls off of the island were leaning more toward weird than suspicious. 

Of course, this just left one other group, consisting of the only even slightly trustworthy person on the island, not that he’d ever admit that aloud. 

And as he watched each person who bothered to make an appearance that day, he felt more confident in his initial groupings.

Akamatsu had seemingly given up on gathering the group together, the negativity that controlled the group seeming to drive her into isolation and distrust. Of course, in Kokichi’s mind, she sat easily within the suspicious group. Shuuichi had blindly accepted her as innocent, but he couldn't help but silently disagree. After all, pretending to be attacked by the mechs and then just _happening_ to stumble upon Shuuichi and Maki’s secret meeting to discuss potential culprits was too may coincidences for him.

Meanwhile, the space idiot had taken to spreading the negativity himself, expressing doubts over whether they would actually be able to get off of the island. At the same time, Maki had cut everyone off, acting the same as she had when they first crashed. He didn't hesitate to file them under the suspicious category.

Then there was the case of Yumeno and Yonaga. It had now been a few days since everyone started acting just plain weird, and the two had both ignored everyone else at first, until suddenly they had become inseparable, Yonaga’s tendency to refer to Atua spreading to Yumeno, almost as if they were some kind of cult or something. And cults were _never_ good. Suspicious.

Korekiyo had been a more subtle change, but it was still noticeable in the way he stopped paying attention to the rest of the group. And while Kokichi supposed he should be glad that he wasn't being actively stalked anymore, the absence rang louder than any unwanted presence ever could. Both were suspicious.

Tojo had continued to busy herself with assisting a recovering Amami, but now with the addition of refusing any offers of help, clearly not wanting to trust anyone around her. And along with those subtle changes, se had been one of those that had gone to the cave for the first _after_ everyone else had. Her, along with Shirogane, who Kokichi had seen acting peculiar as well, withdrawing herself from the group and seeming to break down at the smallest, most insignificant things. In Kokichi’s opinion, they were, by far, the most suspicious of the group.

Something had to have happened when they went to the cave with Shuuichi and Akamatsu, but no matter how much he tried to ask the detective about what had happened, he learned absolutely no new information.

The closest thing he could get to any actual help from the other boy had been that they all went to the caves together, and that while they were there he realized exactly how suddenly terrible and flawed their plan had apparently become overnight, despite the two excitedly deciding upon it the night before.

Four times now. Four times that the group had been deterred from their escape. Four times that they had gained the motivation that they needed, only for it all to come crashing back down. He had fallen through a roof, two of them had been attacked by mechs, their ship had been burned down, and now they had been taken down emotionally. Four times, their attempts at escape had been interrupted.

And now, every last person had lost their motivation to escape the island, unwilling to even trust one another with the time, and refusing to work on new plans as they had come to assume that no matter what they did, it would be ruined once more.

But for something like this to happen so suddenly? To completely and utterly ruin the survivors’ morale when it should have been lifted higher than any other time since they had crashed on the island? 

He hadn't trusted the group anymore than he had when they first arrived on the island, and now, as he was the only one whose faith in the others remained the same, it made him realize just how much everyone else had grown and improved upon themselves over their time on the island. And he could be called a late bloomer in the since that he was only now finding the determination to grow to trust the others that he was there with, but if no one else was going to, then it was up to him to do just that.

Yes, something about the group was completely and utterly wrong.

And Kokichi was going to figure out what happened, and he was going to deal with it on his own if he had to.

* * *

It wasn't until after a week of watching everyone that Kokichi finally reached his limits.

The entire group was just… way too quiet, too _stagnant_ and he just couldn't take it anymore.

Which meant that he was going to have to take matters into his own hands and inspire the survivors. Or something like that.

He was definitely no stranger to cheering up a group, though. His thoughts turned back to fond memories of a close group of his peers, his own little found family, and how he had always been sure to take it upon himself when they needed help and guidance in any way. Sure, he hadn't exactly been telling the truth when he told the rest of the survivors that he led ten thousand members in his own secret organization, going as far as to add a few zeroes to the end of the actual number. But that didn't take away any of the things he learned from knowing them. And one of the most useful things he learned from them was that sometimes all a person needed to cheer up was something to motivate them, to make them realize that it was still possible for them push forward.

And that was how Kokichi found himself wandering along the jungle, back to his previously halted search for the mechs all over again.

He had definitely been serious when he suggested ditching the idea of focusing on the bots themselves, but Shuuichi had seemed to determined to find them, convinced that they were the key to escape. And if that was what Shuuichi needed in order to realize that they still had a chance to get off this stupid island, then he was going to find the remaining mechs if what the last thing he ever did.

But even after hours of walking and searching, just as he had already spent several days in the past working on, he had yet to find even a hint of any undiscovered mechs existing somewhere on the island. Even as the sun began to set at the end of the long, hot and humid day, Kokichi, uncomfortable and drenched in sweat, made to head back to the cabins. He looked toward the sunset, taken by surprise as he found that the sky had grown dark with clouds before with nightfall, still air picking up a subtle, cool breeze. 

Maybe it really would be in his best interest to head back to the cabins without getting distracted and wandering further through the jungle along the way. 

How they had managed to coincidentally stumble upon three entire mechs so far was beyond Kokichi, especially when deliberately searching for multiple days in a row had only led to him feeling exhausted. But, it must have become a requirement that mechs could only be discovered accidentally somewhere along the road to where the group currently stood, seeing as it was only when he was giving up for the days and wanting nothing more than to get back to the cabins before the heavy clouds could begin to pour that his attention was caught by a barely noticeable shimmer of light nestled in the dirt on the floor of the jungle. 

“No way,” he muttered to himself in disbelief.

Without any hesitation, Kokichi rushed over to the object in the dirt, leaning down to get a better look at where it had been crudely jammed into the ground. In fact it was almost as if the metal he had found had been put there deliberately, which could only mean one thing.

“So who was trying to hide you?”

Of course, the piece of metal didn't answer, which meant Kokichi would have to take matters into his own hands. Quite literally, that was, as he grabbed onto the shining silver and heaved it up and out of the ground with all of the strength he could muster until it finally broke free, the force sending him stumbling backwards as he caught his breath. 

Quickly recovering from his little loss of balance, he looked down to the piece of metal in his hands, almost immediately recognizing it as being a part identical to the main segment of the hand-like parts of the mechs that they had already discovered.

“I think I know why I couldn't find those mechs now…” Kokichi didn't bother to keep the thought to himself as the realization hit him.

 _The remaining mechs aren't impossible to find because they're trying to stay hidden, but because_ someone _took them apart because they thought a little scavenger hunt for parts would be more difficult than a search for giant mechs_.

Kokichi wouldn't realize until later how impactful of a discovery that would end up. For now, though, he was too busy turning to take a closer look at the ground around him, shuffling his shoes across the dirt in hopes that metal would interrupt the sweeping movements. He was then pleasantly surprised to find that the method worked, a pair of colored pieces of metal catching his eye in particular. 

It wasn't very long before a drop of rain interrupted his search, making the small boy question whether he would be better off continuing to scrounge around for more mech parts in the inevitable downpour or to return to the cabins and get there before the rain fell too heavy and drenched him.

In the end, his desire to avoid getting some kind of cold while trapped on a deserted island won out. So, with arms full of heavy metal parts that he had managed to pull out of the ground, he turned to make his way from the scene, making his way back to the cabins with a newfound sense of inspiration. Yes, this was exactly the kind of thing he would need if he was going to get the group to stop moping around and actually work towards getting away from this boring island.

* * *

Kokichi sat across the rough wooden floors of the cabin facing a hatless, tired, confused Shuuichi. Said boy just stared at him blankly in confusion. Which, in all fairness, was to be expected, given that all Kokichi had done was storm into his room, sat himself on the floor while Shuuichi gave him a perplexed expression, scattered various metal parts on the floor around him, and gave the detective an expectant look as if he was supposed to somehow be on the same page as him despite having just been rudely woken up by the uncharacteristically quiet Kokichi.

“So… what exactly is this supposed to be?” He finally asked, breaking the quiet with a voice slurred by drowsiness.

The small boy definitely didn't think that the voice was adorable, and he absolutely didn't think that the way the detective then yawned, tiredly reaching a hand to rub the sleep from his eyes was even more so. And if he didn't notice any of that, then he _absolutely_ did not think that the way Shuuichi was looking at him in the dark, bright eyes seemingly a pale green with the absence of a golden sun to reflect on them.

“Mr. Detective, don't tell me you cant figure this one out on your own!?” Kokichi gasped in shock.

 _Come on, Shuuichi, if I’m the only one trying to shake you from whatever’s bringing you and everyone else down then it’s not going to work. You’ve got to meet me part way here or we wont get anywhere,_ he internally pleaded. 

Shuuichi just looked down to the items again, the tired wariness slowly lifting from his gaze as he struggled to get his still half-asleep mind to figure out what Kokichi was trying to tell him.

“They look kind of like…” Shuuichi mumbled, pausing as his brows knit together in confusion, expression growing more focused as he stared down at the metal parts, understanding slowly extending across his features. “Are these parts of machinery?”

Kokichi stayed silent, watching with interest as Shuuichi quickly became alert then, reaching out to take one of the parts into his own hands and gave it a closer look. “The mechs. These are parts of the mechs. But why are you showing them to me? We’ve already examined all three mechs closely, so what’s so important about these parts?”

“Well, my beloved, if you’ll look closely at the two pieces to your right, I think you’ll see _exactly_ what makes these parts so special.”

Shuuichi’s gaze turned to where Kokichi had instructed, and it seemed to take the detective a moment to process what he saw, but once he had, his eyes widened in shock. “Red and pink. One of those pieces is red and the other piece is pink. You found the other two mechs?”

“Yep!” Kokichi chirped, excitement seeming into his tone. “Well, sort of.”

“Sort of?” Shuuichi asked, giving him a cautious glance in the darkness of the cabin. “Please tell me your just trying to bait me here.”

“For once, I’m not. You see, when I found these pieces, they were already like this, just a little more buried into the dirt.”

“You make it sound like they were hidden intentionally,” Shuuichi interrupted him, earning a small grin from Kokichi. “So you think that the same person who lit the ship on fire did this, don't you?”

“It’s kind of interesting how the mechs we found were all in tact up until that Iruma bitch blabbed on about how the parts came from a plane that she was convinced she would be able to reconstruct for us to escape with, isn't it?”

Any hint of the once melancholy Shuuichi was gone now, as the detective’s hand reaching to cover his mouth in thought, a tick that Kokichi was fairly sure now came from reaching for his hat when he forgot it wasn't there. He was right, and he was never more thankful for that to happen in his life. Finding something to inspire Shuuichi into motion, breaking the brutal pattern of simply giving up that had gripped the group, had been exactly what Kokichi needed to eliminate whatever had been bringing the detective down.

And now, maybe Shuuichi would be able to do the same for everyone else there with them.

“We cant exactly do anything about this in the middle of the night, Kokichi,” he pointed out, drawing a low whine from the other boy. 

“I think it’s a perfectly good idea to wake up _at least_ the space idiot with this information!” Kokichi argued, mentally picturing a frustrated Momota that would most likely snap at Kokichi and kick him out of the room with a few creative words that he was tempted to draw out of the other. “Yes, let’s go do that!”

Shuuichi, on his end, just rolled his eyes, but the corners of his lips gave him away to Kokichi, twitching upward in barely suppressed amusement. “How about we don't do that, and instead just wait until tomorrow and tell everyone then. After all, I’m sure they’d like to hear the good news that we’re still moving froward in getting off the island. Especially if finding these parts means that Iruma might be able to use them to get us off this island.”

“But Shumai always sleeps half the day away,” Kokichi pouted, “Which means we wont get to tell anyone about my super impressive discovery until the afternoon.”

“Then just wake me up or something,” Shuuichi said, tired exasperation lacing into his voice.

This only earned a deeper scowl from Kokichi, his mind immediately disagreeing with the idea.

_But Shuuichi looks so adorable when he’s sleeping._

“What!? I’m not—“ Across from him, the detective let out a strangled noise as his face grew visibly red even in the darkness of the stormy night on the island. Kokichi thanked whatever deity that wasn't Atua for the fact that the darkness was probably doing a better job of covering his own quickly reddening face thanks to him sitting with his back to the window and only source of light in the room. He definitely had not meant to say that aloud, but now that he had, he couldn't exactly let the slip become obvious to the other boy.

So what did he do? He took only the most obvious course of action given that all he wanted in that moment was to crawl under Shuuichi’s blanket and regret ever speaking: he spoke more.

“Aw, is my precious Shumai getting all red because I said he was cute? Or wait, was it that I said he was sweet? Or maybe it was—“

Kokichi’s list of, in his opinion very accurate, adjectives was cut short when Shuuichi mumbled something through tight lips, hands reaching to cover his own face in embarrassment. Kokichi couldn't hold back gentle laughter at the action, silently making note that, for someone so determined to dispute the claim that he was adorable, he was being extremely adorable right then.

 _Jeez, Kokichi, when did you get so mushy? You sound like some little kid that just got his first crush or something_.

“Well, there’s only one way to deal with this,” Kokichi declared, despite the blatant fact there wasn't even anything that needed to be dealt with in the first place.

When Shuuichi gave him a suspicious glare, the smaller boy’s grin grew impossibly wider as he continued on, “Obviously, if you’re so determined to pretend you aren't adorable, then you wont mind proving it, will you?”

After a few moments of mulling over Kokichi’s words, the detective’s expression softened into something far more relaxed. “You know, if you wanted to stay the night again, you can just ask.”

Well, that definitely wasn't sure in Kokichi’s opinion, but he wasn't in the mood to argue against the claim. Instead he moved to claim Shuuichi’s mess of cushions as his own while the other boy watching him, tiredness from being so suddenly awoken in the middle of the night catching back up to him as the excitement of their discovery faded away. 

Yes, come tomorrow, Shuuichi was going to be able to get the group back to their annoying, overly enthusiastic and optimistic selves that Kokichi could only barely stand more than their gloomy selves that he was stuck dealing with recently. And from there? He’d be able to narrow down the suspicious group until only one remained, and with that, he would know who had turned against the group.

After all, Kokichi was quite confident in his conclusion of what the number five stood for in their sequence now, even though he was fairly sure that Shuuichi was taking the discovery of the two mechs as confirmation of his own theory.

He was still sure in his own conclusions. Of the numbers they had come to understand so far, only the two listing their latitude and longitude followed Shuuichi’s proposed rule of being relevant to the island that they found themselves on, three if he were to count the total number of mechs that they had discovered. 

But what if the numbers weren't about the island, but the survivors trapped on it themselves? _Their_ gate numbers. The exact location of _their_ plane crash.

Kokichi being prevented from accessing the number sequence that would later prove to help them in getting away from the island.

Akamatsu and Amami being attacked when they had grown too comfortable in leading the group in getting away from the island.

Their ship being burnt to the ground, eliminating their first real chance in getting away from the island.

The group’s morale being crushed with doubts, preventing them from rallying to work with one another in getting away from the island.

The parts that they needed in order to construct a plane to escape the island on being separated and hidden in an attempt to hinder the group’s latest plan in getting away from the island.

As Kokichi felt Shuuichi’s breathing slow and even out, his list of suspects suddenly grew a lot smaller. 

Five. The amount of times that the traitor directly halted the group’s attempts at escape.

One hundred and forty four. Their departure gate.

Twenty five. Their intended arrive gate.

One hundred and seventy six. The plane crash’s longitude.

Twenty eight. The survivors’ latitude.

Fifteen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we are,, actually approaching the end holy shit
> 
> "this'll probably be like 40k words, 60k max" - me, planning this in the beginning of january


	26. Chapter 26

No matter how much he regretted a decision he would make, the lesson never seemed to get through to Shuuichi. This reigned true in everything he did, he realized as he looked back on the events of his life that brought him to where he was today. From even the most minor things, like not bringing an umbrella when it was overcast outside, to the major things, like taking a workload at the agency that was beyond too much for him to handle in the time he allowed himself.

His thoughts turned back to the most recent case he had agreed too. When he took it, he had known full well that he was going to regret it with every fiber of his being, and that it would be sooner rather than later. The investigation had no leads, consistent alibis, and inconsistent reliability upon evidence. The worst part about the entire case had to be the fact that it was overseas, though, and even in traveling across the city, Shuuichi had found ways to make his own life even more difficult.

Whether it be putting off packing for the trip until the night before by drowning himself in smaller cases until he had practically been kicked out of the agency by concerned coworkers that he almost wanted to consider friends. Or how he tortured himself by not bothering to print his plane ticket and deciding to instead risk his phone crashing when he would eventually try to board his plane. He also noticed it in how he had decided to pack more than what would fit into a carry on bag, and would have to deal with checking his suitcase when he got to the airport. 

He supposed there could be something to be gained from this observation, but as his tired eyes eyes watched a six year old trip over his own tiny suitcase because he was running way too quickly down the terminal, the thoughts left to be replaced with a sleep deprived sense of entertainment.

Why did he think coming to the airport two hours early was a good idea?

Oh right. He already went over this, didn't he?

No amount of exhausted regrets that crossed his mind would change the fact that the detective was now sitting at gate 144 at… Shuuichi pulled out his phone for what was probably the hundredth time in the last minute to find that it was somehow still only five in the morning, and he was one of only two people there so early in the morning.

Trying to be discreet, the detective glanced over to the other person, wondering who in their right mind would show up even earlier than him. He didn't even need to bother trying to be sneaky, he realized, as he saw a boy with white hair huddling himself up in a chair farther down the same row of seats as Shuuichi, eyes closed and headphones pulled over his head. He must have been even more tired than the detective, seeing as he seemed to be completely passed out where he sat.

Breaking away from staring at the other boy, he considered that maybe it would be in his best interest to get something to eat in the meantime, seeing as he had skipped out on breakfast that morning in favor of rushing to the airport and was now occupying his free time by staring at unconscious strangers like some kind of creep. Before he could even gather together his scattered thoughts enough to make a decision, he was already on his feet and heading away from the gate.

Along his way through the rows of seats, he made his way past the other, struggling not to trip over the sleeping boy’s bags along the way.

“Oh! My apologies!” An unexpected voice suddenly yelped, making Shuuichi jump at the sudden realization that the other boy had not, in fact, been asleep at all.

Shuuichi mumbled out his own apologies for kicking against the bag on the ground in his surprise, flashing the white haired boy a polite smile as he backed away from the aisle of uncomfortable chairs and into the freedom of the terminal walkaway. Trying his best to block out the announcements ringing loudly over the speakers of the airport, he sped up his pace, weaving through the growing crowd in a direction that he hoped would lead to somewhere he could get breakfast. 

By the time he was fairly sure he would never be able to find his way back to his gate, he finally caught sight of a shop with food that looked at least edible and changed direction towards it. He must not have been paying enough attention to everyone around him, though, because as he turned to head towards the store, he found himself stepping right in the path of someone else, the tow colliding briefly before stumbling away from each other.

He looked to apologize to the other person, but the words died in his throat as he locked gazes with an intense red glare. He choked out a noise that in no way was ever going to be able to convey his embarrassment over running into the girl, but she didn't respond, instead turning to continue her path away from Shuuichi and further down the confusing halls of the terminal with the conviction of someone who was definitely more familiar with airports than Shuuichi himself.

 _She didn't seem too happy about that,_ he silently observed as she disappeared into the crowd. _And she’s going in the same direction as my gate… hopefully I wont have to sit next to her after that…_

A deep voice called out to the detective, mumbling something about needing to get out the way of everyone else as a shorter boy that Shuuichi realized after a moment of confusion actually looked like he was around his own age. The words hit him after a moment, the detective springing him back into motion as he was reminded that he was still standing in the middle of a terminal walkway that was growing rather busy rather quickly.

Maybe he should get some coffee while he was up, since he clearly needed something to wake him back up after how clumsy he had already been since he had gotten to the airport.

* * *

Even with Kokichi’s discovery, Shuuichi had yet to figure out how exactly he was going to bring the group back to how they had been before the discovery of the cave behind the waterfall had broken them all down. He had briefly considered informing the rest of the survivors of the mech parts that Kokichi had found, but the possibility of the traitor retaliating once they knew what the two boys knew kept him quiet.

But now, standing nervously in front of one of cabin doors, he hesitated before knocking, unsure of whether this was a good idea or one that he would come to regret. He supposed he was finally learning to avoid acting in ways that he could come to regret, and a smaller part of him wondered if that was such a good thing anymore.

He and Kokichi had agreed to a new plan starting that day after he had found the scattered and hidden pieces of the missing mech in the jungle, the boy setting out to gather the rest of the pieces that he could find while Shuuichi was to stay behind and get the only two other people in the group that might know what to do with these parts without alerting the traitor.

When he finally knocked a closed fist against the door in front of it, he flinched back as the wood swung open at the impact, revealing a room with a frazzled looking Kiibo turning to stare at him as he stood awkwardly in the, now wide open, doorway.

“Oh, sorry about that,” Shuuichi tried, unsure of how he was supposed to handle accidentally intruding on the other’s personal space and privacy.

Kiibo looked like a total mess, hair sticking out at award angles from where he was sitting on the floor and staring up at Shuuichi, who just hoped he hadn't looked this disastrous when Kokichi had come to him yesterday.

“What’s wrong?” Kiibo asked, making Shuuichi snap back into focus.

“Nothing!” He blurted out, earning him a confused look from the other.

With a glance at the hallway behind Shuuichi, the boy seemed more unsure of what was happening than any other time on the island. “Then why did you come here?”

The detective cringed at the phrasing, but was quick to correct himself. “What I mean is, nothing is wrong because something good happened.” Kiibo still looked uncertain and suspicious of Shuuichi, but he wasn't arguing against him, which the taller boy took as a good sign.

“We found more pieces of the missing mechs in the jungle, and if anyone here can put those pieces together, it’s you and Iruma.”

Alright, Shuuichi was now ready to take back his past observations of Kiibo’s body language and expression as the other boy gave him a slight glare.

“And how do we know this will even work? We only _think_ that these parts can be useful, and on top of that how do we know it wont go wrong like everything else has since we all got onto that plane.” The detective definitely wasn't ready for something like that to come from the timid boy, and found himself feeling uncomfortable under his unrelenting gaze.

How could he not have realized something was wrong with the group for so long that Kokichi had to snap him out of it?

_Was I like this, too?_

“We won’t know until we try,” Shuuichi tried.

Kiibo’s expression twisted at the words, as if bargaining with himself of whether even bothering to attempt making use of the pieces that they had access to was even worth the energy that looking at them would take, and Shuuichi could only hope that he would give in.

As the silence stretched on, the detective just grew more worried that the white haired boy would turn down the hand Shuuichi was extending to him. He was beginning to think that it would have been better to talk to Iruma first when the boy finally gave a slow and small nod from where he was still sitting on the floor. “Alright, we can do that.”

Now with Kiibo in tow, Shuuichi gave a grateful smile as he led the other the way to the girls’ cabin to go fins Iruma. Of course, that was when he realized the he had no idea which room was even Iruma’s in the first place, and if Kiibo seemed to know exactly where the inventor’s room was, then Shuuichi wasn't going to call him out on it.

It was probably for the better that Kokichi had chosen to continue searching for mech parts hidden in the jungle instead of going with Shuuichi to recruit the two survivors back into working together.

Letting the other boy handle the daunting task of convincing Iruma to leave her room and actually have anything to do with their current plan, Shuuichi stayed back by the exit of the cabin. Somehow, he had to admit to himself that the girls’ cabin had somehow seemed even more lethargic than they boys’ cabin was, and he was again forced to accept how distracted by his own anxieties that he must have been to miss out on such an obvious and drastic shift in mood among the entire group.

Whatever Kiibo said to the blonde must have worked, because it wasn't long before the girl left her room with an uneasy glance to Shuuichi.

He had long since accepted that the group had become suddenly paranoid and wary of one another following the events that took place when they discovered the cave. But looking back now, he had to wonder why the discovery could have possibly affected them all so severely, with the exception of Kokichi and only him, when it would have made more sense for the group to become inspired by the confirmation that others had been here before them since they had first believed that finding their belongings behind the waterfall meant that they finally had someone to blame for everything that went wrong.

“Where do you need me to be then, Saihara?”

Deciding against pointing out the lack of any lewd insults in the question, Shuuichi chose to lead the two in the direction that Kokichi had told him the boy was going to search for the remaining pieces that morning.

The walk through the jungle was awkward to say the least, Iruma uncharacteristically quiet while Kiibo looked over his shoulder at least five times in each second that passed until they finally got to the site that Kokichi had been scouring for more lost mech parts.

Splitting up the responsibilities of searching for the parts and finding the roboticist and inventor proved to be a good idea, seeing as Kokichi had gathered up an impressively sized stack of parts that had been hidden in the dirt of the jungle by the time that the small group had gotten there. Behind him, he heard Iruma draw in a surprised gasp before knocking her way past Shuuichi and over to the pile. He glanced over his own shoulder to see that Kiibo’s focus was turned to the parts, but something is his eyes was different, clearer, as if he were starting to shake himself from whatever had been wrong.

“So do you think you can use these?” Kokichi asked, voice dripping curiosity that Shuuichi had a feeling was supposed to hide blatant optimism.

Iruma’s eyes narrowed as she examined the parts carefully before she stood back up, hands coming to rest on her hips. “Well, if anyone can make something good out of this pile of shit, it’s this genius.”

“That’s a yes?” Shuuichi asked, unsure of whether she was being genuine or just setting them up to let them down with the way she had been acting.

“Sure is, but I’m going to be needing some help from you sluts.” Shuuichi didn't think he’d ever been so grateful to be called that in his life.

He looked to Kokichi who gave a slight nod while Kiibo let out a hum of agreement. “Tell us what to do.”

* * *

“May I have your attention please, we are new boarding Zone 1 passengers of flight 515, service from Tokyo to Los Angeles at gate 144. I repeat—”

As soon as the words were out of the gate attendant’s mouth, it seemed like the entire airport was on their feet and crowding around the small hallway that lead out to their plane, some passengers loudly shouting at one another to hurry to the gate despite how overcrowded it had already become while the rest groaned in annoyance at them.

Cold cup of cheap coffee in hand, Shuuichi made his way to the back of the large crowd, unwilling to throw himself into the jostling mix of passengers.

Trying to ignore the people bumping against him to the best of his ability, he reached into his bag to make sure he still had everything he had needed for the flight, using his free hand to pull out his boarding pass. The ticket stared back at him, seat assignment practically mocking him with the fact that he hadn't been lucky enough to receive an aisle or window seat and that he would have to accept his fate sitting cramped between two strangers for the next twelve hours.

Glancing across the crowd of people, he cringed inwardly as he caught sight of the familiar dark twin tails of the girl who had glared at him in the terminal earlier. Hopefully he wouldn't be stuck next to her, and if he was then he wasn't sure he'd make it to his destination alive at this rate. 

“Oh hey, I think your in the row behind me!” A voice perked up next to Shuuichi, making the boy have to fight against his initial reaction of jumping back from how unexpected it was to find a stranger so suddenly close to him.

He looked to see a blonde girl smiling politely at him, white backpack slung over her shoulders. It took him longer than he’d care to admit for him to realize through his sleep deprived thoughts that he was probably supposed to say something in response. “That’s, uh neat.”

Shuuichi tried not to groan at his own response, but the girl just gave a small laugh, smile failing to fade away. “I take it you’re not much of a morning person, then.”

“Yeah, I’d have to agree with that,” Shuuichi replied, halfway mumbling before raising cold coffee to his lips.

“We are now boarding Zone 2. Would passengers with the words ‘Zone 2’ please come check in at the gate.” He glanced back down to his ticket as the gate agent made the announcement over the loudspeaker, the number 3 staring back up at him.

The blonde girl straightened herself up, though, adjusting the straps on her shoulders before giving a polite nod to the boy. “Well, that’s me. I’ll try not to kick your seat on the flight, but I’m not making any promises!”

He gave her a small parting wave as she left, only realizing then that they hadn't even exchanged names the entire time they were talking. After all, she had seemed plenty nice, and Shuuichi found himself thankful that even though he had no idea who he was going to be sitting in between for the entire flight, there was going to be at least one half decent person just one row back from his seat.

“Damn dude, that was rough.” The hand that clasped down over his shoulder was enough to make him realize that coffee probably wasn't very helpful when he was already jumpy enough from being so tired without the added caffeine. “You did make a good recovery, though, so nice job!”

Shuuichi looked awkwardly to the stranger, unsure if he should ask him to move his hand or just accept it at this point. But he had to admit that the bright smile being offered was enough to make him feel slightly better about not getting the girl’s name.

The detective spluttered out a nervous “Thank you” at the same time that the purple haired stranger said something about being in Zone 2 while walking past away.

So far this flight was seeming like it was going to be an extremely strange mix of people, but maybe that was to be expected of such a long, international flight like this.

* * *

Any worries over having to sneak around to complete the plane in secret from the rest of the group seemed to be entirely unnecessary as the next week passed by. Quietly the small group of survivors had taken long days stretching into late nights to locate and collect the last of the missing pieces before struggling to figure out how they went together.

Well, really it was more Shuuichi was struggling and Kokichi was refusing to admit that he was. In the first day of the group working together to figure out the mechanics of the small plane without any guidance aside from Iruma and Kiibo’s past knowledge of engineering, the two had taken to their own ways of helping.

“Can you pass me the lug wrench?” The blonde didn't even bother glancing at Shuuichi as she asked, leaving the detective to glance at the tools scattered on the floor around him before picking up a red tool that he honestly had no idea was supposed to even do. _Well it kind of looks like a wrench… I think._

He turned around to where Kokichi was lazily laying on his back, staring up at the sky through the hole in the roof of the warehouse. “Is this a lug wrench?”

The other boy looked up at the panicked and confused whisper, giving the tool a calculating look before giving a small smile and encouraging nod partnered by a, much too confident in Shuuichi’s opinion, “Maybe.”

“You’re really close,” Kiibo answered quietly before walking past the detective to pick up a tool that looked absolutely nothing like what he was holding in his hand and passed it to Iruma, who was thankfully too wrapped up in her work to make a jab at him over his lack of mechanical tool knowledge. 

Much to Shuuichi’s disappointment, though, his ignorance of mechanics quickly became the theme of the days and nights that the four spent together, working on the plane. He was fairly sure that he had heard the inventor say something about the aircraft being extremely small and flying a maximum of two passengers when it would eventually be finished, but whenever he tried to ask her anything, she’d just yell at him to leave her alone and let her focus.

Something about his dumb questions rotting her genius brain, apparently.

He almost felt bad for Kiibo, but the roboticist seemed to be perfectly capable of the impossible, and was actually able to work with Iruma without making her angry just by being in the same vicinity as her. _Maybe because he knows what a lug wrench is,_ Shuuichi thought to himself almost a week into the group’s engineering endeavor, _Probably._

Kokichi, on the other hand, seemed to be switching rapidly between more bored than he could handle and beyond pleased to explore the warehouse in depth.

It wasn't until the end of the week that basic framework of the small plane was becoming apparent, the engine mostly completed, thanks to the fact that whoever had put together the mechs had kept the most complex parts of the plane in one piece and used them as they were instead of picking them apart. And by that time, even Shuuichi had to admit that he was getting bored and tired of spending all of his time trying to figure out various mechanical tools before getting yelled at Iruma because he grabbed the wrong one, only to have the pattern repeat a minute later.

 _It’ll be worth it,_ he reassured himself as he took in the sight of the plane in progress. Once they finished, they would just have to send two of them to the nearest populated land with it. And this time, they didn't even have to worry about the traitor ruining their plans before they can even set them in motion.

“This is stupid,” Kokichi suddenly announced, getting to his feet and stretching with an exaggerated yawn. “I’m going to go check out some more of the island.”

Ready to leap at any opportunity to get out of the exhausting cycle he had found himself in, the detective took the cue as his own to get up and join Kokichi. “I’ll go with him, just to make sure no one disappears again.”

Iruma snorted loudly and muttered something under her breath before waving her hand at them in an irritated shooing motion. “Alright, just leave already. I’m not your teacher or whatever, you don't have to ask for a hall pass or some shit. Besides maybe now I’ll be able to actually get some work done without you two in the way.”

Deciding against trying to figure out what it was that the blonde had muttered before dismissing them, the detective chose to just follow Kokichi as the smaller of the two rolled his eyes and made his way out of the warehouse with his hands casually thrown to rest behind his head.

Once they were out and into the cool night breeze of the island jungle, Kokichi let his posture droop.

“There’s something that I wanted to go back to.” His gaze kept forward as he spoke, for once seeming somewhat uncertain in what he was about to say. “You don’t have to come with me if you don’t want to, I know you didn’t like it the first time, but I think we need to go back to the cockpit of our plane and look for more clues.”

Shuuichi’s mind turned to memories of rotting stenches and discarded bodies still sitting where they were strapped into their seats when the plane had first hit turbulence all those days, weeks, months ago. 

But he wouldn’t let that stop him. If Kokichi wanted to go back there, then he had a reason, and Shuuichi knew he needed to trust that fact.

“No, it’s alright. I’ll go with you. Whatever it is you want to look for back there, i’ll make sure you can find it,” he said with a sharp nod.

Kokichi looked ready to point out how the scene had frightened Shuuichi before, but he held himself back.

“Let’s go, then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi i’m still alive and so is this fic
> 
> i will finish this (hopefully y’all still want to read it oof it’s been two months)


	27. Chapter 27

Rain poured down onto the two boys as they made their way through the dense jungle. Through the mass of leaves and branches, a short glimpse of bright light flooded the sky while thunder clapped so powerfully is shook the ground beneath them.

“Maybe now isn’t the best time to go back to the plane after all.” Shuuichi, soaked and chilled to the bone, was ready to give in to the storm and turn around. “It’d be better if we didn’t try to go against the weather like this. Even if we find whatever it is that you’re looking for, we’re probably going to get a cold or something, which is the last thing either of us needs right now.”

The detective looked ahead of where he trudged through the mud to the boy ahead of him, frowning when the other failed to show any sign of acknowledgement over his words. But with the roar of unforgiving thunder and rain and wind, rattling the trees and boys down to their core, it was more than possible that the other boy ahead hadn’t even been able to hear his soft voice. _I suppose there’s no harm in waiting to see if the rain lightens up any for a while longer, and if it doesn’t then I’ll just try again,_ he decided.

At the rate things had been going so far, though, he was beyond doubtful.

The path to the cockpit of the plane had started off simple enough. The sky had even been clear as they made their way from the warehouse. But along the way, the air around them had grown cool and restless until clouds slowly made their way overhead. They had started off small and wispy, but once the small drops of rain had begun to drizzle over the boys, their fates had apparently been sealed.

Shortly after the gentle rain had begun to fall, Shuuichi had grown uncertain in the pair’s goal to reach the plane and exactly how possible it was. The rain certainly wasn’t enough to deter Kokichi though, as the supreme leader had simply continued on in his journey. In fact, he had actually seemed to pick up his pace when the cold water first began to fall, but the detective figured that was probably because the other wanted to get this all over with before he got too cold and wet. He supposed it was too late now, even if the other boy still seemed so determined to reach the plane as quickly as possible.

On second thought, maybe he actually _had_ heard Shuuichi’s concerns over getting colds from being out in the storm for too long. Either way, Kokichi hadn’t slowed down yet, only bothering to speed up his pace as he led the way through the dense jungle back to the broken plane that Shuuichi hadn’t wanted anything to do with up until the other boy had suggesting going back to it earlier that night.

The unpleasant sensation of mud filling his shoe, along with the matching squelching sound that the action produced, pulled Shuuichi from his thought of confusing leaders and potential colds to the disgusting feeling of a wet and muddy sock as he pulled his foot out of the puddle he had accidentally stepped right into.

Narrowing his gaze at his own foot in tired irritation, the detective tried to shake the mud off of it to the best of his ability, but to no avail. Turning his gaze away from the mud covered shoe, he looked up to see that Kokichi had apparently not even noticed that he was down one cockpit searching party member.

“Kokichi!” Shuuichi tried, only to find that the attempt was just about as successful as trying to shake mud off of your shoe. Apparently.

Electing to move on from his most recent predicament, he gave up on the shoe and jogged up to where Kokichi was still walking ahead of him, giving the ground a cautious glance every few steps to make sure he wasn’t about to land right into another puddle.

“Kokichi,” he tried again as he caught up to the other, carefully reaching out to tap his shoulder in attempt to gain his full attention. 

Thankfully, it worked, and the boy shot him a questioning look, expressing his confusion over why exactly he was being stopped in the middle of their walk.

Shuuichi took a breath, using the moment to organize his thoughts before finally speaking so that the other would actually be able to hear them.

“Doesn’t this seem like really bad timing for this? It’s storming right now, and the longer we spend in the rain like this, the more likely it is that we’ll get sick. And then what help are we to the group?” The words came out certain, much to his relief, and he thought that maybe the fact that he was being entirely serious would make Kokichi realize that they were currently in the middle of a downpour. A cold, windy, lightning and thunder filled downpour. 

Kokichi didn’t even bother with a fake reaction to the suggestion, though, expression turning blank as he returned the detective’s intense gaze. “No. This is the perfect time to go to the cockpit, and we need to go as soon as possible.”

He didn’t even give the detective a moment to process the words before turning back in the direction of the broken plane and returning to his swift pace.

Staring after the other for a long moment, Shuuichi was able to finally place the way that the other was walking quickly and with finality as being determined above all else. Once the words had made sense in his mind, or at least as much sense as such a strange and vague argument like that possibly could, he scrambled to catch back up to Kokichi, walking closely behind him.

“But the rain is just getting more intense as we go. And don’t you remember the first time we found the plane? It was raining then too, and the wind nearly knocked over the plane while you and Kiibo were still in it,” he pointed out. 

“And don’t you think there’s something weird about that?” Kokichi fired back without any hint of hesitation in his steps or in his words as he continued on.

Shuuichi fell silent as his steps slowed to a stop behind the other boy, mulling over his words carefully before finally, “You think that the rain is directly related to us going to the plane?”

Ahead, Kokichi didn’t say anything, uncharacteristically quiet, simply coming to a stop and turning to face Shuuichi.

“... I do. Both times we’ve gone to the cockpit, it’s stormed. Both times, there was no indication of bad weather before or after going there. I’ve been watching while you were trying to help with the plane project, and this weather is completely unexpected and out of the ordinary. It just shouldn’t be happening right now at all.”

The detective thought over the information carefully, unconsciously reaching to run fingers through sipping wet hair, his eyes turning to focus on the ground by his feet as he considered everything Kokichi had told him. 

After a few moments in silence filled by ground shaking thunder and wind that threatened to knock branches loose from their trees, his head shot up, intense gold meeting curious purple. 

“I think I’ve figured it out.”

* * *

In theory, Shuuichi didn’t think it would take this long to board _one_ zone. Sure enough, he was still waiting at the gate for what felt like ages since they first announced that they were boarding the second zone, although he had to admit that only a few minutes had probably passed and he was just bored with no one to talk to and nothing to do while he waited.

Judging by the girl grumbling under her breath, he wasn’t the only one starting to wonder why the zone was taking so much longer than the other had.

“It’s ridiculous isn’t it?” The girl blurted out, as if looking to Shuuichi for some kind of agreement. “Zone Two didn’t have to wait this long so why should we? Hey, are you even listening, shrimpdick?”

Shuuichi cringed at the words, making the blonde groan in annoyance before turning her attention past the detective and to the girl standing behind him.

“What about you, then?”

The question seemed to strike a chord in the other girl, but not the one that the blonde had been aiming for as she gave a wide smile. “If the passengers are taking the extra time to board onto the plane like this, then that is because it is Atua’s will.”

The response was most definitely not what the girl had been looking for, seeing as the blonde seemed to fume at the nonchalant answer. 

Before any arguments could escalate, Shuuichi found that he was suddenly filled with the urge to get as far away from the two girls before the blonde could lose her temper any more than she already had. 

“If I could have your attention please, we will now begin to board Zone 3, and we thank you for your patience.” As soon as the gate agent had finished her announcement, Shuuichi quickly excused himself from the conversation that he wasn’t even sure if he could say he was even part of anymore and rushed away from the girls and to the line of passengers waiting to board.

Ticket and passport in hand, he made his way through the line slowly, barely managing to avoid bumping shoulders with every other passenger he passed by. As long as he could avoid accidentally knocking into someone like that scary twin tailed girl from earlier that morning, he was ready to consider it a win. 

“Is this your first flight?” A smooth voice drawled, much to close to Shuuichi’s ear for comfort, in his own opinion, at least. Flinching away from the unexpected noise, he turned to find that the person in line behind him was watching him closely, as if the detective’s answer was going to give him absolute enlightenment right there in the airport terminal. 

The stranger’s long hair draped over his shoulders and Shuuichi found himself hoping desperately that he wouldn’t have to sit next to someone who would invade his personal space with their own long hair on the flight. Looking back to the person’s face, he found himself curious of how exactly he was able to speak so clearly with a mask covering his mouth tightly, but he didn’t delve too long on the mystery as he realized how much time had passed since the question had been asked.

_Way to go, Shuuichi. You’re an expert of social interaction._

“Oh! It’s my first international flight, but not my first flight. I’ve been on flights before,” Shuuichi couldn’t stop himself from over explaining in a slight panic as the stranger’s unfaltering gaze remained relentlessly locked with his own. “Those were nice. The longest was six hours, though, and this flight is going to be longer than that. Of course you probably already know that since you’re also on the flight! Except they weren’t all on this airline, a couple of times I flew—“

“Ticket and passport, sir?” Shuuichi spun back around to the gate agent with great relief to have been dragged back out of his uncomfortable rambling.

Handing over the items to the employee for her to check them, the detective gave a short nod of thanks when they were passed back to him and he was sent along his way down the jetway to the plane.

_At least the plane ride couldn’t get any worse than that._

* * *

Kokichi was right. It didn’t make sense for it to be storming both of the times that they had approached the plane with no indication of heavy rain before or after they made their way to the broken remains of the plane.

“I think we’re approaching the traitor the completely wrong way,” Shuuichi started, choosing his words carefully. “Even after being trapped on this island for as long as we have, we still keep trying to use the rules we had before we got here to try and figure out the identity of the traitor and how they’ve managed to accomplish so much with such ease. It’s like you kept trying to remind everyone, it doesn’t matter how everything worked before we crashed, because we’re on the island now, and we need to learn how to play by its rules instead of trying to force our own on it.

“But even then, forcing the assumption that the island is the one making everything go wrong is _still_ failing to play by the right rules. It’s time we stopped assuming that the traitor has been using the island to their advantage. What if it wasn’t even the island causing the storm like this at all?”

Kokichi’s expression was unreadable as he stared at Shuuichi, and the detective started to worry that his theory had come across sounding more crazy and paranoid than he had thought originally. 

“Not that I’m admitting you might be onto something, or anything like that,” the smaller boy slowly drawled out. “But let’s say that this little theory actually has some kind of good point mixed in with it. Hypothetically speaking, what would you choose to blame these storms on?”

Shuuichi jumped as the thunder above their heads continued grow louder and more intense as he shared his realization. 

“The traitor.”

Kokichi raised an eyebrow at the declaration. “And how exactly would the traitor manage to do all of this?”

The detective took a moment, thoughts turning to some of their first experiences on the island and how they got them to where they are now, searching for some kind of connection, any kind of connection at this point.

“Polar bear!” He shouted, sending Kokichi spinning around in alarm before Shuuichi grabbed him by both shoulders, the realization striking him. “This island isn’t supposed to have polar bears!”

“Shumai, you can’t just scream ‘polar bear’ like that when our lives aren’t actively in danger,” Kokichi interrupted, but the detective kept on, blatantly ignoring the indignant protest from the other boy. 

“This island is at a latitude that’s almost exactly aligned with the nearest populated land, Hawaii. So we all already know that it’s absurd for there to be a polar bear here in the first place. But given the assumption that the island itself is the one trying to keep us from escaping, the fact that there’s a polar bear here at all makes even less sense. How could an island that has never been exposed to _arctic_ animal life conjure some up at its own will?”

Kokichi looked slightly less lost than the detective was worried he would, much to his relief, as he answered, “It couldn’t. It would essentially be impossible for something that has never seen a specific, existing animal species to create a perfect replica of it.”

“Exactly! And then think more recently, after we found the cave behind the waterfall and brought everyone to it, we were all sent into a mental state that prevented us from pursuing efforts to escape. Except—“

“Except the timing was wrong. It wasn’t immediately upon reaching the caves that we were screwed up, it was after everyone had seen it. If it was the island doing this then why would it wait for everyone to get there so it would have to stop them instead of just stopping us when it was only two survivors who had found the waterfall. Unless, of course, it wasn’t the island at all, just like you said, but someone on the island with us: the traitor.”

Which led them to then and there, soaking wet, freezing cold, barely able to even hear themselves, let alone one another, over the roaring of the storm surrounding them.

“You know, I have to admit that even if Shumai took longer to figure it out, I’m still proud that my beloved eventually got there!”

Shuuichi’s focused expression broke at that, staring instead at the other boy with confusion written clearly across his face as he tried to figure out what exactly Kokichi was trying to tell him. 

“You already knew all of that?”

“Well not _all_ of it. Like I hadn’t even considered what the polar bear had to do with any of this! And I know you were actually trying to help the blonde bitch and the robot,” he continued, ignoring Shuuichi’s protests hat Kiibo was just a roboticist and not an actual robot, “And you were super busy with all of that so you didn’t really get much time to think over everything while you were to busy trying to understand what a lug wrench is. But i wasn’t busy with that useless stuff.”

“Helping to construct the plane that’s going to be the key to escape this island isn’t useless,” Shuuichi said, exasperation laced in his tone. “But if you knew all of this then why didn’t you just tell me before?”

Kokichi shrugged at that before answering. “Maybe I just wanted to see if you could figure it out on your own. Maybe I wanted to seek irrefutable confirmation first. Or maybe I just wanted to be the hero of the group and be the only one to have figured everything out!”

Shuuichi felt the tensity leave him at the admission. _So he figured I wouldn’t believe him if he just outright told me that the traitor was making polar bears and giant storms appear,_ he silently acknowledged, and he couldn’t really blame him if he was being honest with himself. For once, the truth sounded far more absurd than any lie he could come up with. But something else Kokichi has said sounded off, and Shuuichi considered that there may have been more truth to the claims.

The other had already returned to their path from before, steps leading towards the lost cockpit. _But what do you mean by ‘irrefutable evidence?’_

* * *

“Didn’t you hear? They’re delaying the other flight that’s supposed to go to Los Angeles half an hour after us,” Shuuichi glanced up from where he was sitting in the painfully uncomfortable plane seat to the source of the voice.

Several rows ahead of him, he caught sight of two flight attendants whispering to one another between welcoming guests into the plane and waving them down the aisle in the right direction. Or at least he could only assume that there was at least two flight attendants, but all he could see from his seat was a fairly tall girl with green hair switching between smiling politely to passengers and talking to someone else beside her.

“The tower said that they might add us to the delays if we take too long as well.”

The girl paused, as if listening to the response of whoever she was speaking to.

“I heard something about a large low pressure system in the pacific, but—“

The seat in front of him vaulting backwards and knocking the detective in his forehead broke his focus and he sat back in his own seat with a frustrated frown. Why did the person in front of him have to chose right as the flight attendant was sharing the details of weather delays that they had to put their seat back? And why did they have to put it back so suddenly when he wasn’t even ready? _And I thought you weren’t even supposed to put your seat back before the plane takes off..._

He didn’t even know he let out any kind of noise in reaction, but he was met with a stern voice from the seat ahead of him stating that, “Tenko does not apologize.”

 _At least she acknowledged that she did something wrong?_ Shuuichi considered. Although he wasn’t entirely sure if that made the refusal to apologize better or worse.

He had better things to focus on, anyways. Like the fact that, so far, no one had claimed the seat to the right of his and that he might be lucky enough to not have anyone claim the aisle seat. At least then he could scoot one chair away from the stranger in the window seat that seemed perfectly sure that the armrest between them, and everything that had to do with it in the slightest, definitely belonged to him. 

At least he wasn’t the talkative type. Shuuichi was certain that talkative strangers on planes were actually considered a distinct form of torture. 

But the caffeine from his coffee was wearing off and the exhaustion from waking up at such an ungodly hour to show up unreasonably early for his flight was catching up to him faster than he had anticipated, and he found his eyes slowly dropping farther and farther shit before slipping closed, the noise of the plane preparing for take off fading into the silence of a dreamless sleep.

It almost felt like he was going to get a good amount of rest too, had it not been for the plane jolting what felt like seconds later, the announcement system letting out a loud ding as the flight attendant spoke into it. Had i’ve not heard what she was saying, he would’ve been able to recognize the voice as belonging to the same attendant he had overheard before.

But he heard what she was saying, and he felt the turbulence violently rocking the plane at its will that warranted her announcement.

“Please remain calm. The pilot has turned on the fasten seatbelt light, as we have come to experience slight turbulence.”

_I don’t think this counts as slight._

“But we ask that you return to your seat and fasten your seatbelt immediately, as we may need to prepare for further turbulence. Thank you,” the girl concluded the announcement, voice wavering. 

Shuuichi glanced to his side to find that his neighbor in the window seat beside him was looking around the plane frantically, eyes wide. In the window opposite of their side of the plane, he saw a rather large boy with out of control green hair clutching frantically to the small red head glancing around slowly beside him. 

Ahead of him, a green haired boy turned and locked uncertain gazes with him before the shaking of the plane brought his attention to another passenger struggling to walk through the aisle from behind Shuuichi as the turbulence only grew rougher.

As the plane jolted downward, Shuuichi’s heart kept into his throat as everything seemed to freeze in place around him. The seatbelt across his lap seemed to tighten, pressing into him as he struggled to take in what was happening. It wasn’t until everything snapped back into motion that he realized what was even happening. 

All at once, he found himself instinctually reaching to grab the passenger frozen in the aisle way, the stranger’s feet off the ground as Shuuichi pulled him into the seat next to him as hard as he could, fear over the stranger getting injured from running into the hard frame of a chair overruling his fear of making the other uncomfortable, all the while the familiar panel overheard that he had never thought he would snap open and release oxygen masks did exactly that.

Panic leading the way, he pulled the mask over the stranger’s face as the other fought against gravity to get a grip on the seatbelt. If he wasn’t so terrified, Shuuichi might’ve been tempted to apologize for probably ripping out more than a few of the guy’s purple hair in his rush.

But before he could even realize that he was yanking the stranger around so harshly, that same world freezing sensation returned, And as he turned to stare out through the window, flashes of white and blurred grays were all he could see. Watching the swirling colors and bright flashes, it hit him slowly that they were blurred vertically rather than horizontally like they should be.

But his head was starting to pound, his ears were screaming into his brain, his jaw ached like it had been stabbed right through, his thoughts were cloudy like the view out of his window, and he still couldn’t figure out why as everything around him grew dark and loud before cutting out, the last thing he felt being hands pulling his head away from the window as a loud buzz broke through the screeching white noise of terror struck strangers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wrote this whole update on my phone at disney world but hey the tower of terror is actually a really good reference for what a plane dropping out the sky feels like (not to mention how often it kept storming which helped with those rainy scenes lol)
> 
> also, shuuichi after some awkward socializing before his flight: AT LEAST THE PLANE RIDE COULDNT GET ANY WORSE THAN THAT
> 
> on a more serious note tho, i just want to thank everyone for sticking w this fic even after two months of total silence. i also want to give a huge thanks to everyone who leaves comments on any and every chapter, especially ch25 when i went dead and didn’t respond to any of them. you guys really mean a lot to me and to this fic, and without you i really don’t think it would have ever been possible for this fic to get to where it is today <3


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uh so ok a quick warning? there's some more involvement of dead bodies in this one, similar to the first time that they went to the front of the plane, maybe a little more descriptive.  
> i wasnt really sure if it needed a warning, but i figured its better to be safe and just give a heads up anyways

The thundering of the rain drowned out any thoughts that may have led Shuuichi to hesitate as he made his way through the dense jungle alongside Kokichi, intent on finding the clearing that they had discovered so long ago and the wreckage that it held. He didn't know exactly what it was that the other boy had been so determined to seek out, but he had grown to trust that he wasn't lying when he said it could serve as irrefutable evidence that would help the pair. in confronting the traitor.

Ahead, the trees began to grow sparse, plant growth thinning out as the detective caught sight of metal as it faintly shimmered though the sheets of rain.

Beside him, Kokichi picked up his pace, footsteps certain as he made his way to the broken down remains of the plane. Shuuichi followed closely, staying close as to not lose the other boy in the torrential downpour until they finally reached the wreck.

Staring up at the partially collapsed remains, he couldn't help thinking back to the last time they had been there, the wind threatening to send the boys falling to the ground only to be crushed by the plane when it came crashing down after them. With the force of the wind in the present, the detective felt fear crawl back up into his chest as he began to worry over what they would do if they were put into danger like that all over again.

While he had been wrapped up in his own thoughts, he hadn't noticed Kokichi continuing on towards the broken plane as he simply stood staring at it until the other boy called him back to attention, barely visible through the rain as he gestured at the torn metal in front of him. Steeling his nerves, Shuuichi took slow steps forward until he caught up with him, not sure if he was shaking from the cold of the storm or from the fear of the plane.

“Are you really sure you can handle this?” Kokichi asked suddenly, voice mixed into the wind and rain. “No offense, but you weren't exactly a huge fan on the plane last time.”

A quick glance into the remains reminded him of why he had been so uncertain of the plane the first time, as he took in the darkness that was only broken up by flashes of lightning that revealed torn and tattered bodies he had longed to forget. He couldn't even begin to imagine what being left in the hot and humid jungle for months could have done to those remains, after all, only one murder case that took place within one week following the victim’s passing didn't exactly leave him feeling too enthusiastic for whatever stage in the process of human decomposition he was about to discover. 

But that didn't matter right now, because they had to do this. And even if he didn’t, he knew beyond a doubt that Kokichi would simply go in alone, putting himself into serious danger with no one to help if something goes wrong like the last time.

“I can handle it,” he finally said, meeting Kokichi’s uncertain gaze and hoping that he didn't reflect that worry in his own.

The smaller boy didn't question him any further, and Shuuichi thanked whatever force was behind the easy acceptance that he hadn't seemed as afraid as he felt. Although, he couldn't deny how badly he was shaking and how he stood behind the shorter of the two as they made their way to the plane, and he began to wonder if Kokichi had just chosen not to call him out on his obvious anxiety, instead taking his words for truth above the evidence right in his face.

_Does trusting my words over my actions like this mean he’s actually trusting me?_

For the first time, Shuuichi found himself grateful for the rain pouring down on them as they made their way into the torn entrance to the front of the plane where it had fallen and crumbled to the ground the last time that they had found it. After all, the rain and wind were strong enough to mask and carry away the majority of what Shuuichi was certain would've been a reeking stench too powerful for them to otherwise enter the plane, as even through the downpour the detective had to reach up a hand to cover his mouth and nose.

He found himself losing his breath before beginning to cough, only leading him to inhale more of the offending smell which made him cough more until something was thrown over his head and shaved into his face, leaving the detective to move soft fabric from where it was blocking his eyes so that he could look down to an annoyed, scarf-less Kokichi. 

“Jeez, if you’re going to be that dramatic about the smell then just use that or something,” the small boy declared loudly before turning back to walk through the crowded in aisle way of what was once the plane’s first class cabin that had since become overgrown with plant roots that had seeped in through the cracks of the plane and the bags and bodies that were thrown around within.

Carefully stepping around the unpleasant obstacles, Shuuichi wrapped the scarf around the bottom half of his face, covering his mouth and nose to conceal away the smell of the plane before letting out a muffled, “Thank you, Kokichi,” that was met with a red face when the smaller boy turned around and looked at him for a moment as he let out a mumble of “Yeah, yeah, just don't get it dirty,” as he turned back around.

Around them, the wind and rain only seemed to pick up impossibly further as they continued on their way to the cockpit of the plane after that, the plane beginning to rock back and forth as they trudged through a plane crowded by passengers that Shuuichi really didn't want to think about too much right then.

The swaying only continued to get worse as they moved onward, though, the boys quickly finding it difficult to lose their balance in what felt like their own private earthquake. One particularly powerful thrust of wind sent the boys tumbling sideways, Shuuichi failing to stay upright as the floor came out from under him, throwing him into the row of seats to his left. Ahead of him, Kokichi let out a surprised shout as he found himself being shoved against the side of a chair. Not bothering to give them a single moment to regain themselves with the plane’s new orientation on its side, the wind blew into them from the other side, send both boys slamming into the opposite side of the plane as it flipped onto its other side before settling back down when neither of them were courageous enough to return immediately back towards the cockpit.

After a few rushed breaths, Shuuichi felt his initial panic begin to subside. Once he had recollected himself, he lifted a shaking hand to the headrest of the seat behind him, standing up slowly, he stepped carefully on the side of the plane that had suddenly been promoted to the role of the floor, careful to avoid stepping onto the cracked window beneath him.

More thankful for his height than ever, He stretched over the sideways row of three seats to glance across the rest of the plane, frowning to himself as he realized their newest obstacle in getting to the cockpit was not the plane itself as they would have to either find a way to climb over each and every row of seats or dare to squeeze against broken glass in the small space between the windows and seats until they reached the front of the plane.

He was really starting to get tired of this island and whoever the traitor was.

“Kokichi, are you alright?” He called out, hoping for his voice to break through the pounding of the rain.

A long beat of silence passed by and Shuuichi began to fear for the worst when a strained voice slurred out a few rows ahead of him. “Just peachy! Try and catch up with me up here if you can, I don’t exactly have giraffe legs like you to climb over these seats with.”

Shuuichi looked at the torn cushions in front of him and, after a brief struggle of trying to figure out where to put his feet so that he could actually lift himself high enough to clear the row, found himself balancing precariously on the side of the seats, taking careful steps forward to walk from the end of one row to another. A few extended strides ahead, he found the purple haired boy laying against the side of the plane, completely unaware that Shuuichi had even reached him until the detective reached a hand down to prod him back into alertness.

“What happened?” Shuuichi asked as the other boy loosely gripped his hand.

“Well, if I’m not mistaken, the wind blew the plane onto its side and then flipped it onto its other side,” Kokichi responded sarcastically, grip slipping away as Shuuichi made to pull him upright.

“That’s not what I mean and you know it,” Shuuichi’s gaze narrowed as he reached his hand down again to grab the smaller boy by his forearm instead of his hand in order to lift him back upright. The out of focus gaze that looked up to him as the smaller boy struggled to go along with the movements made it clear to the detective what it was Kokichi wasn't telling him. “You hit your head again and it reaggrivated your concussion, didn't it?”

The smaller boy didn't answer, instead putting more of an effort into standing back up straight again. “No, ‘m fine. Let’s just go to the cockpit.”

Shuuichi was no doctor, but he had a feeling that concussions probably didn't mix well with balancing at an elevation in a small space that is rocking back and forth due to intense wind all while moving forward.

“No, you’re staying here. Tell me what you wanted from the cockpit and I’ll find it.” Kokichi looked more than a little irritated at being told what to do, but Shuuichi was not about to let him hurt himself even more, leading the two to stare at each other with frustration clearly written across their feature for long enough to be wasting time in the plane before Kokichi finally let out a loud groan of annoyance.

“Fine! There should be some kind of papers in there about our specific flight. It’ll have stuff like information on the weather anticipated and other planes in the air at the same time and it’ll have lots of other lists. It could be a book or a folder, I don't know.”

Shuuichi felt the corners of his mouth tug into a frown. “Why would they have that on a plane? Wouldn't they just have digital copies of that kind of information that actually updates live?”

“The paper lists are backups in case of an emergency,” Kokichi explained, Shuuichi unsure if his words were coming out because he was annoying with Shuuichi asking so many questions or because his concussion was getting to him. _Probably both._

“Papers with lots of lists on them then, anything else?” Shuuichi asked, earning a small shake of Kokichi’s head that just led the smaller boy to cringe and reach a hand to rub at his head following the short motion. 

Standing up as tall as he could in the cramped space, which really just meant being bent almost in half between the rows of seats on either side of the plane, the detective took in a deep breath before tending his arms out to grip onto whatever he could to find more balance as he continued on forward across the edges of the sideways rows of seats, intent on reaching the cockpit in one peace so that he could get Kokichi back somewhere better for his concussion and they could finally identify and confront the traitor among them once and for all.

As he made his way forward, the plane continued to rock, wind howling as it pushed against the screeching and scraping metal, the sounds almost too loud for the detective to focus as he found his balance slipping far too many times for him to find any sense of comfort as he slowly progressed. 

_It hasn't gotten any worse from when Kokichi was knocked over, though,_ he silently observed. _It’s as if the storm or the island or the traitor or whatever is doing all of this knows that the person who actually knew what he was looking for in depth was successfully stopped from reaching the front of the plane._

 _But for that to be true,_ Shuuichi slowed as his focus wavered from balancing to his thoughts. Then it would serve as future evidence that the island isn't the one at fault for all of our challenges since we crashed here. If it truly were the island at fault, it would have known about the conversation I just had with Kokichi, which means that someone is somehow at fault for this, and that someone has no idea that he trusted me enough to tell me what to look for in the cockpit.

Shuuichi was stopped in his tracks as he reached the last of the seats, gray door leading to the cockpit sitting open in front of him.

_I can’t let him down. I can’t let any of the survivors down. Whatever’s in those lists, Kokichi believes that it can free us from the control of the traitor. They want me to lead them, and no matter what happens after I find this list, I’m going to be the best leader I can for them._

He clambered in through the door, feet landing on the messy side of the cockpit as he took in the broken panels and mess of papers all around him, careful to ignore the undeniable stench that filled the stuffy cabin and the blackened and moldy source of it sitting buckled in the seats in front of him.

The swaying of the plane increased for the first time since the plane had flipped, and Shuuichi lowered himself to the ground as he flipped through the papers he found scattered there, trying his best to keep his center of gravity as low as possible as to avoid being thrown around in the cockpit. But as he looked through pages and pamphlets and folders, nothing like Kokichi had described was showing up anywhere, the only useful finds being navigational maps that Shuuichi made sure to carefully pocket with hopes of giving them to Iruma for when she would eventually need to pilot the plane that she and Kiibo were putting together.

The wind and rain around the plane continued to grow stronger as he continued to search, and he began to worry that the plane would be flipped again before he could even find anything, that this time he wouldn't be so lucky as to barely avoid shattering a window, when something caught his eye above him.

Turning to look at the side of the plane serving as a makeshift ceiling he tried to look closely at something strange and nearly indistinguishable in the darkness of the storm, only the flashes of lightning accompanied by shaking thunder giving him short chances to look at the object. Slowly, it came into focus as he stared at it, and he felt his breath leave him as he recalled Kokichi mentioning that the information he needed might be in a book, and the item above him was, without a doubt now, the corner of a leather clad book of some kind.

Reaching upward, Shuuichi couldn't quite reach the journal, leading him to give an attempt of jumping up to reach it that only left him landing hard on his side when the plane rocked violently before he could even leave the ground. The wind rushed out of him and he could feel his eyes growing watering at the sensation of the breath getting so crudely knocked out of him. Shaky and slow, he rose back to his feet and looked back up toward the journal.

He couldn't come this far just to be stopped because the journal, they potential key to the group successfully escaping this hellish island alive, was, quite literally, just out of his reach.

Another violent rock of the plane led the body in the pilot’s seat next to him to release a loud sound that Shuuichi couldn't even identify as being a dry crackling sound or a wet squelching sound, followed by a thud quoted in the storm, and he fought to keep whatever small amount of food that the island had allowed for him to keep in his stomach from leaving him in his absolute disgust at the horrifically found sound.

Continuing to fight that urge, he turned to see the source and felt his stomach lurch even further at the sight of a disgusting mess of _liquid_ oozing from the shoulder of the former pilot, now shaken to the point of severance from the rest of the decaying body.

For some reason, maybe raw horror, Shuuichi found that he couldn't tear his gaze away from the sight until another flash of lightning lit up the cockpit, the light reflecting off of the metal of the framework along the pilot’s seat and an idea came to him.

Swallowing down his nerves, and his urge to collapse this own idea, Shuuichi slowly walked toward the occupies seat, mind set on at least making sure that he didn't actually come into contact with something gross as he cautiously gripped the cold metal along the back of the seat. Carefully, he lifted one of his feet to push against the back of the armrest, trembling as he felt the toe of his shoe hit something other than the chair but refusing to look down to take in whatever had just happened down there.

His poor shoe was already coated in a layer of mud, it really didn't need this treatment.Shaking his head to try and free himself of the thoughts, he focused his gaze back on the book above him, weight shifting onto the elevated foot as he reached upward with his hand that wasn't gripping onto the side of the chair for balance, fingers coming into contact with soft leather that he quickly tugged free. Dropping his weight back down immediately, he found himself collapsing to the ground again as his legs seemed to give up as the rush of adrenaline left him.

All at once, the sounds of rain and wind ceased around him, the clouds outside of the cockpit window cleaning up unnaturally fast and leaving soft sunlight to flood into the cabin. Of course, with that came better lighting of the contents of the room, and Shuuichi quickly turned back away from the sight of the windows and the bodies sitting buckled up beside them, barely suppressing the urge to wretch as he quickly flipped through the soggy pages of the book, finding them filled front and back with various lists labeled with different dates until he found a section in the back dedicated to his own flight from months before.

Whatever it was that Kokichi had been so determined to find, Shuuichi had uncovered it. And judging by the end to the storm, whoever had wanted to conceal the book’s existence had even come to give up on fighting back against them now that Shuuichi held the leather bound journal in his loose and frightened grip.

The traitor was done fighting back against the groups escape, whether they liked it or not. And it was all thanks to the journal that Kokichi had told Shuuichi to find.

Now they just had to get safely back to the rest of the group and shake them back from whatever lethargic mood had overcome them so that they could all confront the traitor together and finally break free of this island.

* * *

By the time Shuuichi had reassured Kokichi that he had gotten what they came for enough for the other boy to let him practically drag the smaller out of the plane as it lay on its side, enough time had passed that their returning to the cabins led them to running into a panicking Kiibo and an irritated Iruma. 

“Are you guys okay?!”

“And where exactly did you two cheap sluts wander off to?!”

Both spoke up at the same time and Kokichi groaned in pain at the sudden shouting aggravating what was probably a terrible migraine before twisting the sound under a mask of annoyance to hide the return of his concussion from the other two.

“We were busy, what’s it to you?” Kokichi spat out, fatigue making his already short fuse ignite easier than usual.

“Are you kidding me! You two say you need to do something really quickly and then you disappear for the rest of the day! And now _you_ ” Iruma pointed to Kokichi as she went off on the pair, “look like you can’t even stand on your own with how much you’re leaning on Saihar-ass over here. Meanwhile _he_ ” her attention then turned to the boy in question as she pointed downward. “have some kind of… _something_ covering the front of your shoe. What even is that!?”

Not really wanting to know what the sticky fluids on his shoe were himself, and reluctant to bring up the journal that he had uncovered as he honestly had no idea what part of it was what Kokichi viewed as being some kind of evidence to help find the traitor, his mind reminded him of his other discovery in the cockpit of that plane.

Reaching into his pockets, he pulled out a mess of folded papers and a hunk of light metal from his pocket.

“We went back to the cockpit of the plane, and I thought that these might be helpful when you have to pilot the small plane to get to Hawaii to get help.” He handed her the small pile that she eyes with uncertainty before unfolding the papers, revealing various maps that Shuuichi had managed to snag before he found the journal. Her attention then turned to the piece of metal as she turned it over in her hands.

“Some maps and an aviation compass?” She asked carefully, as if she wasn't holding the items in question in her own hand. “I hate to admit it, but your pathetic detective brain might have actually had a moment of accidental brilliance.”

Shuuichi let out a sigh of relief, thankful that the items he had grabbed in a moment of pure impulse so that he wouldn't have to risk returning empty handed had actually paid off.

“How long do you think it’ll take to finish the plane?” Kokichi interrupted.

“It’s almost done. Three more days until it’s functional at the most,” Kiibo answered quickly. “And we were talking about who should take it to Hawaii since neither of us are really experienced in piloting… well anything, really.”

“We agreed that I should definitely go, since I designed it and know how it works best,” Iruma supplied. “But we also agreed that out of everyone here, the space idiot was the most likely to have any idea of how to pilot something without crashing before he could even take off. Plus, if you’re giving us maps and a compass, it would make sense for the one who wants to explore space to know how to use these to navigate.”

With everything decided, the four had wished each other a good night and parted ways, Kokichi choosing to follow Shuuichi to his room rather than heading off into his own for the night.

Once they were in and the door slid closed, the smaller boy reached out and snatched the journal from Shuuichi’s hands, flipping through the slowly drying pages carefully until reaching the pages dedicated to their own flight. Going through pages detailing weather, altitudes, staff on duty, other planes scheduled to be near them during their flight, and records of gates and times, he stopping thumbing the pages, quietly reading across the page that sat open in front of him.

Curious of what had caught his attention, Shuuichi leaned to read over his shoulder, seeing a list of various names accompanied by seat assignments, separated by sections of the plane that they were put in. Near the top of the list, Kokichi’s own name stood out, the only in the section that Shuuichi recognized. He didn't have to wonder why his was the only familiar name in the section when he realized that the grouping was that of first class passengers, the same ones that had been trapped in the violent crash of the front of the plane that they had just been forced to revisit in order to find this book.

“You were in first class?” Shuuichi found himself asking before he even realized he was doing so.

“Yep.” Kokichi answered shortly, turning the page to look at the list of passengers in the next section of the plane.

Shuuichi frowned at the response before prodding further. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you were the only survivor that was in first class. How did you…” He trailed off, not really wanting to finish the question.

The smaller boy gave a tense shrug. “I was stretching my legs when the plane hit turbulence and I didn't get back to first class before it went down. I was a little too busy with the fact that the plane was falling out of the sky to pay attention to what was going on but I know the force of the plane knocked into what had to have been the only empty seat there, and the person in the seat next to it buckled me in before the plane actually went down. I don't really know why they did that, but honestly, if they didn’t, I probably would've been thrown across the plane. I don't really think I would’ve,” his voice grew increasingly quiet and uncertain as he went on, “I don't think the crash would've been as pleasant without them doing that, for sure.”

Shuuichi grew silent as he tried to think back to what he had done when the flight went down, memories fuzzy from the panic that had taken over. “I think I pulled someone into the empty seat next to me when the plane went down.”

Kokichi looked up at him with a doubtful expression that clearly expressed what he didn't bother to say aloud.

“Really!” Shuuichi defended himself, throwing his hands up in mock surrender. “I remember feeling guilty because I was pretty sure I accidentally ripped some of their hair out when I was putting the oxygen mask on them.”

The smaller boy’s expression broke slightly as the two looked at each other carefully until Kokichi broke the silence with a laugh that started off quiet enough before building up to the point that he had to lean against Shuuichi again for support as he struggled to breathe.

“I really don't get what’s so funny about this,” Shuuichi grumbled in defeat, face heating up in embarrassment over the other’s reaction.

Backing up, Kokichi rubbed his eyes, grin wide and amusement open for the detective to take in. “This island is weird,” the smaller boy let out between heavy breaths. “Maybe we really were all meant to crash here, for whatever reason.”

The boy then turned his attention back to the journal, looking back over names again as he took a mental note of where each survivor was listed in the pages. Trying to fight back the flush that was overtaking him, Shuuichi turned his attention back to the pages as well, glancing across the names before something strange caught his eye.

“Two people are missing from this list. Does this mean we have our suspects?”

Kokichi let out a hum at the observation. “Close, but not quite.”

Carefully, as not to damage the already rain soaked pages, he turned the pages back until he reached the list of flight attendants scheduled for the flight, pointing to one name in particular. “And she makes fifteen. Which means only one person is missing from the flight log.”

“Then we don't have two suspects, after all,” Shuuichi thought aloud. “We have one traitor.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i had to research the process of human decay in hot and humid jungles and i gotta say, it makes perfectly good sense that bodies get moldy but its just not what u initially think about when it comes to that imo
> 
> and dear god shuuichi's poor shoe,, first it got soaked in mud and now it has dead body fluids all over it :(


	29. Chapter 29

The next three days had passed by quicker than Shuuichi could have ever expected. With their evidence lining up so clearly and the plane quickly getting completion, the detective had felt safe in admitting that he had never truly expected for the day that they needed to actually test that the small plane would work to come so soon.

It felt like they had been on the island for so long, and that they had barely spent any time working on the plane before it was completed. It even took Shuuichi more than a few moments to recognize that the plane was even working as Iruma sat in the cockpit of the aircraft, the whirring of propellors filling the space of the warehouse as she flipped and fiddled with levers that the detective had no clue the purpose of. 

Triumphantly, the blonde flipped anther switch, the spinning propellors quieting as they slowed down to a complete stop.

Hopping out of the plane, the girl gave a loud whistle as she turned to stare at it with a wide grin. “Now all we need is to get that thing out of this warehouse, any kind of runway that we can manage should give it enough speed to catch air. And after that, I’m taking all of you sluts to Hawaii!”

“And you’re sure you’ll be ablate get there okay?” Shuuichi asked, not wanting to ruin the inventor’s excitement as hesitation came over him. “I don't want to seem rude, but none of us here exactly have a good history with planes.”

Iruma’s smile didn't falter, though, “As if something like some pathetic little plane crash could ground _me!_ ”

“He does have a good point,” Kiibo threw in from where he stood next to Shuuichi. “You don't have to pretend you aren't scared of being in a plane, no one would blame you for it.”

From where he was leaning lazily into the detective’s side, Kokichi let out an amused snort as Iruma’s grin finally cracked into a scowl.

“Listen,” she started, arms crossing as she glared at the boys, “Just because you whores are scared of flying now or _whatever_ doesn't mean everyone else is. The way I see it, sniveling over that plane crash like a whiny brat is completely pointless. You’re basically just seeing one failed test and assuming that’s going to happen every time! You know what you’re _supposed_ to do when you fail a test? Because it certainly isn't stopping the experiment altogether. You change a variable and you try again. And _this!?_ ” She gestured to the plane, voice only raising further as she continued on, “ _This_ is called changing a variable and moving the fuck on. So if you cowards are fine with letting one failed trial control you, then fine, but don't assume that it’ll do the same for me. I _know_ that we were in a plane crash, and I _am_ flying this plane.”

Whatever words of concern Shuuichi had were lost by the time that she finished, and the white haired boy to his right seemed to be on the same page as him as he just stood there silently, taking in the small explosion that they had just witnessed.

Kokichi, on the other hand, seemed to have grown less stunned and more invigorated at the small speech, practically shaking with excitement next to the detective. “Well then what are we waiting for? All you need now is that space idiot, right?”

Iruma deflated slightly, tense shoulder relaxing at the shorter boy’s enthusiastic response. “Did you even notice I was upset or did that just go over your head like… well, just about everything including most raised cabinets, I’d imagine, you little gremlin?”

Snickering, the smaller boy started to tug Shuuichi with him back and out of the warehouse. “Here I thought you’d be some crying bitch about having to fly again, but it turns out you’re the one pushing everyone else. I guess we really _will_ leave this island when pigs fly! We just have to go get the other one first.”

Choosing not to comment on the rude word choice, Shuuichi let the smaller boy lead him from the warehouse to, he figured, go find Kaito and break the astronaut from the depressive control that the traitor had somehow managed to hold over the group.

Something about walking through the jungle felt different than before as the two made their way through thick plant growth towards the camp, and he found himself taking in the bright greens surrounding him differently than he had any time before. Maybe it was something about the promise of escape that gave him the opportunity to take in the island as anything other than intimidating and mysterious, but the glow of the sun seeping through the trees around them seemed less ominous now.

Part of him even went as far as to think that he may even find it in himself to miss this island once they left it. After all, despite everything that had happened, it wasn't like it was all terrible. In fact, he’d even go as far as to say that there was some good buried in the depths of everything that had happened since they all crashed there.

* * *

To say that the fact that Kaito had greeted the group with a distant and displeased expression, along with some choice words about leaving him alone had left Shuuichi feeling a little discouraged would be an understatement. But as it stood, the door to the astronaut’s room had been, quite literally shut in his face before he could get a single word in.

Worry was quickly growing in the detective over whether bringing the other back from the emotional episode that the traitor was putting them under was going to be more difficult than anticipated. Raising his fist, he knocked bat the door once more, and as it slid open to reveal a scowling Kaito, he slipped his foot in the way of the wood when it was slammed shut again, keeping the door open with a slight wince at the sudden, sharp pain.

“Kaito, _please_ ,” he tried, and for a split second he thought he might be getting through to the concerned eyes of the other before his gaze hardened again.

“Go away, Shuuichi.”

The detective felt his determination to get into that room and actually talk to Kaito whither at the cold tone he held.

_No, we’ve gotten this far. I’m not about to give up just because I’m too nervous to talk to my own friend._

“No.” He could only hope that his voice came out as commanding as he wanted for it to.

“What?” Kaito asked with an incredulous expression. “I want to be alone, what do you mean _no_?”

“I _mean_ ,” Shuuichi started, using all oh his strength to force the door open enough for him to slip into Kaito’s room, “no.”

The astronaut stared at the boy standing in the middle of his room with a look of frustrated disappointment, but given that he had stopped trying to argue with the detective to keep from entering the room, Shuuichi was ready to consider it a victory on his side.

“You need to get out of this room, Kaito.” The other looked ready to disagree with the blunt statement, but he continued on, “You’ve locked yourself in here for well over a week by now, it’s time to get out of here and start helping the group again like you used to. Me, Kokichi, Iruma, Kiibo, we’re all still trying to get off this island and we think we finally can, but we need your help in order to.”

The other boy looked entirely unimpressed at the plea, seemingly uninterested in the idea of escape. “If getting away from this place is so possible, then why did the last people here _die_ here? We’re just like them, and we’re going to die just like them, it’s only a matter of time.”

Shuuichi wavered at the point for a moment, doubt over the plan that he had helped put together washing over him before he answered. “I thought the same thing, too. I was out of it for a while after we found the remains of that old camp behind the waterfall just like you are now. But then I realized something. It’s possible because we _aren’t_ them. We’re here like them, but we’re different. We have so many good people here with us! We have an artist that helped to design fully functional cabins for us to live in, an entomologist with a heart of gold that helped us to gain an understanding of the types of bugs living here on the island, a roboticist that figured out the mechas, an inventor that build a fully functioning airplane for two of us to take to Hawaii too seek rescue, and an astronaut who can help her navigate the way there so that getting free of this place can finally be possible!

“This group can manage just about anything, Kaito,” Shuuichi’s voice grew quieter as he finished. “Besides weren't you the one who tried to convince me of that in the first place?”

The boy in question simply stared at him once he was done, expression open and conflicted as the words sunk in. For the longest time, he didn't even move, and Shuuichi began to worry that he had somehow made everything even worse for the other when he finally spoke up.

“Iruma designed a plane to fly to Hawaii?”

Relief overtaking him, Shuuichi gave a lose nod, “She did. And she needs your help reading the maps so that she can actually get there and get the rest of us help out of here.”

“Well I can’t exactly leave my sidekick to fend for himself more than I already have. That would make me a pretty lame hero, don't you think?” Kaito asked, an excited grin spreading across his face as he made his way past Shuuichi and through the door to his room.

Shuuichi followed him, more than relieved to have the optimistic astronaut back to his usual self. Maybe now, they would actually be able to set a successful escape mission into motion without the interference of the traitor.

“So where exactly is this plane?”

“Over in the warehouse,” Shuuichi explained. “It has room for two people in it, so we decided that it would be best to send Iruma since she knows how it runs better than anyone else, and someone who could actually read the maps and aviation compass we found in the cockpit of the old plane, which is how we decided on you.”

Kaito nodded in understanding as he led the way from the cabins, relaxed expression turning to one of irritation as Kokichi joined them from where he had sat waiting by the entrance to the boys’ cabin. “And what does he have to do with all of this?”

“Aw, and here I thought Kaito-chan might be at least a little more welcoming after hearing about my great plan for rescue!”

“I know for a fact that you did not come up with this plan,” Kaito said, rolling his eyes, earning a teary eyed pout from the smaller boy.

“Actually he kind of did,” Shuuichi interrupted the two before Kokichi could start up his crocodile tears. “He brought me back from the funk that I just got you out of and told me that he had a plan to expose the traitor and get us off of this island. And even if he didn’t, I still trust him.”

Kaito’s mouth turned downward at that, but he chose not to say anything more on the topic. Kokichi, on the other hand, looked more than ready to take the moment to be as annoying to the astronaut as possible, but the astronaut spoke up first.

“You seriously think that there’s a traitor, bro?” Kaito asked, looking at Shuuichi skeptically. Past him, Kokichi mouthed the word _bro_ while cocking an eyebrow in silent mockery of the nickname, making the detective have to fight the urge to outwardly react at the teasing behavior.

“Yes, we do. It’s kind of hard to explain, but too much has happened to the group since we crashed here that there truly is no other explanation.” Shuuichi chose not to include the fact that they even had the identity of a survivor who wasn't even on the plane when it crashed. After all, the other was already so reluctant to accept the possibility of a traitor at all, and Shuuichi didn't want to risk him backing out on their plan if he were to go as far as to claim knowledge over the identity of the traitor that he still didn't believe even existed in the first place.

* * *

The plan had come together as soon as Kaito had agreed to leave with Iruma on the plan. And if he were being entirely honest with himself, Shuuichi wasn't sure if the plan was going to be simple and easy or completely impossible. To everyone else’s knowledge, the plan was to send the two off on the plane while the rest simply waited for them to return to the island with a rescue team, but after staying up for the greater part of the night with Kokichi, the two had come to the conclusion that nothing about this island would ever work out that well for them.

“If we’re right, then the traitor practically controls this island,” Kokichi had pointed out. “And if that’s true, then what would prevent them from keeping this place concealed from rescue teams even after we send Iruma and Kaito out there with the island’s coordinates?”

Shuuichi hadn't had any form of response for the longest time that night after Kokichi had spoken. Or, rather, he had a response, he just didn't want to share it.

“I think we have to expose the traitor.” His eyes remained focused on the ceiling from where he lay across the wooden floor of the cabin. “Everything they’ve done has been because we didn't know ho they were. So if everyone knows, then they can’t do anything. They just have to actually know and believe in the identity of the traitor.”

Kokichi had been silent for a long time after that. The whole time that he had been speaking, the smaller boy had hardly even reacted to anything, and Shuuichi took the quiet moment to wonder whether he had already come to the same conclusion but had been too afraid to voice it himself.

In fact, as he thought back to that night he was fairly sure that had been the case, both of them nervous over what actually speaking the plan into existence could mean for them.

Standing and watching as Kaito and Iruma started up the plane where they had cleared a wide strip of clearance through the warehouse, front of the aircraft pointed toward the side of the building that they had deemed farthest collapsed and most likely to have enough room for the pair to successfully pass through without crashing into the already severely compromised building. Watching as they spoke with Kiibo one more time as they checked that the plane was functioning as it was meant to, the detective felt a twinge of guilt well up inside of him, thoughts turning back to the night prior once more.

“So what then? Get everyone together and hold some kind of…” Kokichi started, voice dying off into a yawn as he spoke.

“I think we have to put the traitor on trial for everyone to see,” he said, voice empty as he thought over the potential situation he could be putting the group in. “There’s a possibility of them lashing out, but that would really only help us prove them as the traitor.”

Kokichi’s face scrunched up in thought as he considered the detective’s words. “We’d have to be careful about how we do this, though. If we aren't then the group could just reject the idea entirely and then we’ll be stuck here more than ever before. And even then, I can still think of a certain someone who would probably deny the traitor even if they confessed right to his face.”

Shuuichi frowned at that, but he had to admit that Kokichi had a bit of a point. _Enough people are already going to try and deny the identity of the traitor, and if Kaito’s around then I don't know if I could argue against his optimistic attitude well enough to convince him and everyone else at the same time._

“So we wait until after Kaito and Iruma leave on the plane tomorrow,” Shuuichi had suggested. _Besides, I don't think Iruma’s confrontational attitude would necessarily be helpful when the group is going to be fired up enough already._

The two watched as Kiibo backed away from the plane, propellors picking up to full speed as the pair inside went through their final preparations before take off. Soon enough, they would either be on their way to Hawaii or crashing somewhere else in the middle of the pacific ocean alone. He really hoped more than anything for the former to come to fruition. 

Kiibo shouted something to them that the detective could barely heard of the roaring of propellors, but that he was able to understand as seeking confirmation that they knew the location of the island when Kaito shouted back the two numbers that the group had grown all too familiar with as being the coordinates of their crash. 

It wouldn't be long until they were gone and the two boys would have to tell Kiibo of their plan to gather the class together and they would have to return to the cabins to do all that they can to get everyone out of the shelter of their rooms and together for one last group meeting. 

The plane took that moment to begin moving forward, Iruma and Kaito exchanging words from where they sat with him directly in front of the blonde.

With the inventor having directed one final wave to Kiibo and Kaito having given Shuuichi one final thumbs up, they turned their attention forward and their focus onto the plane as they slammed onto its breaks and acceleration simultaneously, the plane wobbling as the engine roared to its full life before releasing the breaks. The plane suddenly shot forward, the pair not bother to hesitate before pulling more levers and flipping more switches than the detective thought he could ever understand in his life, leading the plane to pull upward as hard as they could.

It felt strange to watch the plane that they had spent so long working on, made of pieces from the mechs that they had spent so long running from, as it vanished from their sight in mere seconds, narrowly fitting through the broken side of the warehouse and lifting into the sky, roaring of the engine fading away as it vanished and they entirely lost track of Kaito and Iruma. 

Suddenly, the warehouse felt overwhelmingly silent.

Shuuichi looked over to where Kiibo was still standing, staring through the gap in the building with an expression filled of conflicting expressions that all seemed to combine into intense concern.

He gave a short glance to the boy staring next to him and he found himself wondering how he would feel if Kokichi had been one of the ones to leave on that plane, but quickly shook away the thought away as the possibilities of the plane crashing and the pair in it drowning before they could even reach Hawaii.

Turning back to the white haired boy, he took a breath to calm himself, refocusing on the present over the hypotheticals. 

_It’s now or never, Shuuichi,_ he thought to himself.

“Kiibo, we need to talk with you about something,” he started, quickly gaining the attention of the other boy. “Actually, we need to talk to everyone about something. Is there any chance you can help us get everyone together for a group meeting?”

The white haired boy looked a little confused by the request, but nodded nonetheless.

Without another word spoken between them, the group of three made their way back to the cabins to find, much to Shuuichi’s relief, that a fair amount of the survivors had gathered outside on their own.

“Did you guys hear that noise?”

“Was it the polar bear again?”

“No, it sounded like a plane!”

“Hey, where did Kaito and Iruma go?”

 _It must have been all of the noise of the plane taking off that got everyone to finally leave their rooms again,_ Shuuichi observed as the group spoke amongst themselves. _If the prospect of escape is what brings people back from whatever control the traitor had been holding over them, like it was for Kiibo, Iruma, Kokichi, Kaito, and I, then it makes sense that the sounds of a plane overhead would remind them that it’s possible to leave here._

“Well, looks like getting everyone out of the cabins just got a _lot_ easier,” Kokichi stated with a satisfied grin.

“Yes, the only ones missing seem to be Yumeno, Hoshi, and Shirogane.” Kiibo added in.

A quick glance across the crowd confirmed Kiibo’s observation, and after a short moment Shuuichi spoke up, “Kiibo, you can go get Hoshi, Kokichi can get Yumeno, and I’ll get Shirogane.”

With that, Kiibo wished them luck in getting the girls before heading off towards the boys’ cabin to get the former tennis player out of his room. Shuuichi was almost tempted to believe that Kiibo was the one who needed the most luck out of the three boys there. Almost.

He and Kokichi made their way to the girls’ cabin once Kiibo had left, separating as they headed in the direction of either of the two girls’ rooms. The smaller boy knocked on one of the doors before slowly sliding it open, voice coming out in a warm greeting to Yumeno before disappearing from Shuuichi’s sight, leaving him alone in the hall as he stared down the blue haired girl’s door uneasily. Kiibo and Kaito had already been hard enough for him to get out of their rooms, and he was beginning to doubt if he would even be able to get a third person from their room.

With a deep breath, Shuuichi raised a fist and knocked it gently against the door. After a few beats of silence, he prepared himself to knock again when the door slid open in front of him, revealing a Shirogane giving him a helpless look from behind red rimmed eyes and a knotted mess of hair.

She didn't speak, and neither did Shuuichi. After all, she was going to be different from the loud and optimistic Kaito and the shy and anxious Kiibo. He glanced across the room before his eyes landed on a hair brush long since forgotten, tossed into the corner of the room without any concern. Wordlessly, he made his way to the item, picking it up and trying his best to disguise his hesitation in the form of him examining the brush before he finally gave in.

Still unwilling to break the silence, he simply gestured to the bed, Shirogane picking up on his idea and sitting on it, hands going to rub at her eyes as if she had only just realized how obviously emotionally wrecked she was. Sitting next to her, the detective didn't say anything as he gathered up her long hair and began to brush the knots out of it at carefully as he could, trying his best to avoid pulling at her hair as he did.

He wasn't sure how much time passed as he ran the brush through blue hair, but it wasn't until it was entirely free of knots that he cleared his throat to speak.

“Thanks again, by the way.” Shirogane’s broken expression began to crack into confusion as she looked at him then.

“What do you mean?” Her voice was hollow when she spoke, and Shuuichi had to fight the urge to shiver at the sound.

“When we first crashed here. If it weren't for you, I would have bled out on day one after that metal rod stabbed through me,” he explained. “Thank you.”

Something in her eyes seemed to change at the answer, and for the first time since he had knocked on that door, she seemed as if she were actually present and aware of the room around her and the detective in it. 

“It was nothing,” she spoke out, voice filling out, not entirely like normal, but working its way there. “Anyone would have done that.”

“No,” Shuuichi answered immediately. “It was everything. No one else here would have known how to give stitches like you did. I would have died if it weren't for your help.”

Shirogane grew quiet at that, watching as he stood up from the bed, dropping the brush onto the bed behind him before extending a hand out to the girl. 

He began to wonder if he was wrong about so much to do with the island as she gave a small smile and accepted the hand offered out to her. Pulling her up and to her feet, he couldn't even get his thoughts in order as he led her to the door of her room, sliding it open.

“I thought it would be a good idea to have a group meeting,” Shuuichi explained. “Everyone else is already out there if you’d like to join us.”

“You really want someone as plain as me to join you guys?” She asked, uncertainty seeping into her gaze.

Shuuichi gulped down the confusing mix of emotions rising up in him as he nodded his head. “Of course. We need all of the survivors to take part, and that includes you, doesn't it?”

Shirogane looked reassured by the statement, and as Shuuichi led the way from the cabin and out to where Kiibo and Kokichi had already managed to gather the remaining members of the group together, sitting around in a circle and speaking amongst themselves for the first time in weeks, he began to wonder if this was a good idea at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i call this chapter: mostly italics with some plot mixed in too
> 
> also you can bet your ass i have an entire document titled “truth bullets” that i’ve been updating and maintaining since the start of this fic specifically to use in its entirety in the next chapter


	30. Chapter 30

Between Shuuichi and the rest of the survivors who he had come to know over the past several months, all that stood was the long since abandoned signal fire that they had clung to at the start of the journey, and the truth that he knew he had to bring to light, for not his own sake, but for that of everyone he had come to call a friend since the moment he had first woken up, bleeding and terrified on the same beach that they stood gathered around that day.

To his left, just past Angie, Tsumugi glanced across the circle, brows furrowing in confusion before she spoke up, voice inquisitive rather than accusing. “Where are Iruma and Momota?”

The detective took a deep breath as the rest of the group’s attention flickered around the circle as if noticing for the first time that the pair was nowhere to be seen.

“Miu and Kaito left the island in a plane that Kiibo and Miu herself put together using parts taken from the mechs. They’re going to find people to help rescue us once and for all.”

The faces around him seemed to be torn between excitement and apprehension, some of the survivors letting out statements of triumph at the notion of finally escaping the island, while others appeared too deeply wrapped in their own thoughts to feel as optimistic as the rest.

“Before we can get off of this island for good, though,” Shuuichi’s voice broke through the murmuring of the crowd around him, “I think it’s time for us to finally figure out who exactly was behind, among other setbacks, burning our ship when it was our only way out of here. And more importantly, the reality of the traitor among the group.”

The hushed voices of the group quickly grew in volume, the crowd seeming to split immediately to their own stance on whether there was a traitor among them or not.

“You still wont let that stupid theory of yours go!?” Kokichi shouted from off to Shuuichi’s right, the detective turning to shoot him a confused and irritated stare at his objection. _What is he_ doing? The smaller boy scoffed, the rest of the group’s attention now turned to focus on him. “Sorry but not sorry, it’ll take more than a few bold claims to get me to believe something so ridiculous as one person here betraying the rest of us.”

“Tenko would never agree with a degenerate as insufferable as the gremlin,” Chabashira spoke up from beside Kokichi, “But Tenko also does not believe that any of the girls here would do something so cruel.”

“He never said that the traitor was a girl,” Kirumi interrupted. “But that part doesn't even matter because the proposal of a traitor is ridiculous in the first place.”

Turning back to glare at Kokichi for inspiring the group to go against him so suddenly, he found his frustrations lost as he locked gazes with an encouraging expression from the smaller boy. Realization hit him and he regathered himself quickly, giving a small smile back to the other before he spoke.

“There is a traitor among the group, and I believe that I know exactly who they are. But for the sake of keeping everything fair and unbiased, I can take the time to provide all of the evidence that I have, completely and entirely open for discussion until we, as a group, can decide together who the traitor is.”

The lingering sense of uncertainty among the survivors seemed to finally leave the group as Shuuichi gave his proposal, some of the others around him giving nods in assent before others chimed in with words of agreement over the idea until only one had failed to answer.

“Kokichi? You were the one who argued against me first, so it only seems fair that we don't do this unless you think it’s fair.”

The smaller boy brought a hand to his chin as he pretended to consider Shuuichi’s words before grinning widely, arms swinging up to rest behind his head as he answered, “Tell me everything you know, Mr. Detective, and we’ll just have to wait and see what everyone else thinks once you’re done.”

“Then I think we should start working from something that everyone knows about,” Shuuichi explained. “We received a series of six individual numbers, and I now believe I have the final two figured out. Everyone here already knows that two of the numbers were our departure and arrival gates, and it hasn't been a secret that two of the other numbers describe our location through coordinates, which leaves only two numbers left for us to solve: fifteen and five.

“The fifteen is a bit more complicated,” Shuuichi mumbled before speaking back up, “So we should start with five.”

Around him, the group listened carefully, and even among those that still refused to accept even the possibility of a traitor among them seemed curious as to where he was going with this.

“See, at first I thought that the number was a reference to how many mechs there were on the island, but then it came to my attention that my theory didn't make that much sense. Sure there was five mechs, but that didn't fit into the pattern of the sequence.”

“And what would that sequence be?” Tsumugi asked, head cocked to the side in question.

Shuuichi couldn't help but fight back the urge to shy away from the girl’s confused expression. “Well, uh—“

“The numbers all have to do with the group.” Amami’s calm voice sounded from he other side of the circle, drawing everyone’s attention. “ _Our_ gates and _our_ location. It would only be reasonable to believe that the last two numbers would also be something of ours.”

On either side of Amami, Kiibo and Kaede gave nods of agreement before Shuuichi continued on. “Exactly! And now I think I know what the number actually stands for how many times that we were slowed down by the traitor.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re beginning to test my already thin belief in these numbers, Shuuichi,” Maki interrupted, a few others nodding in agreement with the twin tailed girl. “You’re simply seeing connections because you want them to be there, the fact that so many other variables like the mechs could fall under the category of ‘five’ just proves my point further.”

“I must agree with Harukawa, the notion of something so bizarre is simply beyond the realm of possibility,” Kirumi said, Hoshi giving a grunt of agreement as Tsumugi gave a shaky nod.

“Gonta agrees with Shuuichi. Gonta does not think this island makes sense.”

“See, Gonta understands, if this island already makes little to no sense, why should it start now just because we might want it to!” Kaede exclaimed. “Weirder things have already happened, right? I mean there’s strange bugs and even a polar bear, so why try to make sense of this place now? Just to be convenient? No way, this place is anything but!”

“Wouldn’t that just make it _convenient_ for your side of the argument instead?” Kokichi pointed out flatly. “Either way, the notion of the numbers being able to predict the future or whatever is plain stupid.”

Korekiyo finally took the chance to break his silence, raising a hand slightly as he spoke up. “Actually, I do not believe that having faith in predictors of the future is too far out of hand. In fact, there are countless civilizations throughout history and in modern day that trust in foreseeing the future so dutifully that they follow strict—“

“Atua can see the future, so why shouldn't this island be able to!”

“Because the island isn't the one giving us the numbers, it is an island. It wouldn't make any sense for it to be able to—“ Maki wasn't able to get much farther into her argument before Kiibo interrupted with a nervous expression. 

“I think that trying to base our decisions on what would normally make sense is not the correct way to go about this. So much of the island is already beyond what makes sense that applying normal logic simply doesn't feel right.”

The group seemed to consider the point, some with more unease and some with relief until Maki finally gave a sharp nod. “For argument’s sake, I can understand your point. Besides, Shuuichi never got the chance to explain what exactly he means by being effected by the traitor.”

She looked back to him, gaze skeptical, but seeing as he finally had the group’s undivided attention again, he figured he should take advantage of the opportunity and try to get through the theory behind the number before the group divided into further arguments that would keep him from getting a single word in. 

“During our time here, there have been three mysteries that occurred, all later discovered to be the fault of the traitor. The first came in the form of Kokichi’s concussion in the warehouse. Originally, just like everyone else, I had blamed the occurrence on the building being old and deteriorated, but later, when I went tot he roof, even though I wouldn't exactly consider it super stable, it held my weight perfectly fine. And given the fact that Kokichi is, well… rather small, it didn't make any sense why he would've fallen through and not me.”

“He probably already stepped on all of the fragile parts of the roof and left all of the stable parts behind like the reckless degenerate he is,” Tenko argued.

“I thought the same thing at first, too,” Shuuichi responded. But then when I went back down into the warehouse, I noticed something else. The shelving units in the warehouse themselves are impossible to move, seeing as they're all secured into the ground so that they stay in place when heavy objects are stored on them. And when I looked closely enough at the shelves next to where Kokichi fell through the roof, there were large scratches on some parts, extending upwards toward the hole in the ceiling that, when compared to the size of the claw like hands of the mechs, showed that one had clearly climbed to the top of the shelving unit.”

“And how do we know you’re actually telling the truth here and not just making all of this up right now since we aren't at the warehouse to prove you wrong?” Tenko asked, leading the group to watch Shuuichi expectantly.

“Because I wasn't alone, Iruma was there with me,” the detective answered honestly before realizing his mistake.

“One of the two people not here for the meeting is your only alibi?”

Shuuichi began to panic, maybe he shouldn't have let the other two leave already, taking his only other piece of evidence that the mech had climbed the shelves with him.

“Wow, Detective, making such bold claims with no actual evidence to prove it!” Kokichi exclaimed, an expression of mock surprise strewn across his features. “Unfortunately, I have to agree with Shuuichi here. When I woke up from the fall, I was laying on the wrong side, which was only possible if someone, or something, had physically picked me up and turned me over after I fell. And since there wasn't any evidence of anyone else showing up to the warehouse before Gonta found me there, it’s very possible that a mech did it, right Gonta?”

“Gonta did not see anyone after Gonta heard Kokichi fall,” the green haired boy replied with a nod of confirmation.

“See? So even if you don't want to trust me, Gonta and Shuuichi, two of the kindest people here, agree on what happened.”

The group seemed swayed by the entomologist’s agreement, much to Shuuichi’s relief.

“So what exactly do you think happened int he warehouse that day?” Kiruna asked, expression slowly shifting from disagreement over the theory to what seemed like at least a mild enough curiosity to open her up to hearing the detective’s theory.

Shuuichi took the opportunity to then explain how he believed that a mech had climbed the racks of shelves with the intention of harming Kokichi, clawed grip scratching the metal along the way before it was able to reach the ceiling that it then clawed at as Kokichi was running above it, weakening the roof and ultimately causing its collapse, the small boy falling through along with the crumbling material of the building. He detailed how Kokichi had already struck the hard floor of the warehouse and received his concussion by the time that the mech reached him.

“But then, for whatever reason, the mech felt the need to check whether Kokichi was aware of what was happening, perhaps to make sure that it wouldn't be remember later on when he woke back up. So it turned him over onto his back, leading to the inconsistencies first noted when we found him, in that he sustained injuries to the front of his head, despite the back of his head being what lay on the ground.”

“And you believe that this was somehow the traitor’s fault?” Tsumugi asked.

“Yes,” he answered easily. “Somehow the traitor was able to control the red mech and lead it to behave in such a way.”

“But isn't that already extremely similar to how the blue mech was behaving when you found it?” Maki mentioned, bringing up memories of the mech reacting aggressively towards the sight of Shuuichi and Kokichi when it had woken up to find them. “And that one didn't have any form of pilot controlling it, so how do we know that the mech who attacked Kokichi in the warehouse did?”

Kiibo took the opportunity to answer on Shuuichi’s behalf then. “I don't think we have any reason to believe that there was anyone inside of the mech behind the first attack at all, but from studying the mechanics behind them, the possibility of the mechs being controlled remotely is far from impossible. In fact, I would say that there is a very good chance that a mastermind of some sort took charge of the mechs remotely.”

“And for those reasons, it’s within reason to conclude that the first mystery on this island, the concussion sustained by Kokichi, was done at the hands of the traitor, through the use of one of the mechs.”

Most of the group seemed to agree with Shuuichi, only a few looking hesitant to accept the explanation.

“But that’s only one of five, isn't it?” Korekiyo asked. “So in order for the number in the sequence to be represented properly, there must be precisely four similar incidents.”

Shuuichi nodded his assent. “Then that takes us to the second event, the disappearance and later recovery of Amami.”

This seemed to gather the green haired boy’s attention as he tensed up at the words. “You’re saying that a traitor is at fault for what happened?”

“I mean, if the traitor was the one controlling the mech that attacked Kokichi, it would make sense that they would also be behind the green mech capturing you,” Kaede pointed out from beside him, arms crossed in discomfort. “And they would also be behind the mech chasing both of us down just before taking you.”

“I think that the traitor saw how you too were behaving like leaders, bringing the group together when everyone just wanted to turn on one another and try to escape on their own. And I think that threatened the traitor, seeing as everything they’ve done has hindered our escape in one way or another, and when you two left camp together, it was a perfect two birds with one stone situation.”

“Okay you lost me,” Tenko interrupted, “I get how hurting and kidnapping Kaede and Amami would screw the rest of us over, but you just implied that giving Kokichi a concussion somehow slowed us down, too.”

“Excuse you!” Kokichi exclaimed. “I’ll have you know that the one who figured out out coordinates was, in fact, myself!”

“And Kiibo solved two of the other numbers, but he wasn't whacked over the head.”

“Maybe Kiibo’s the traitor!”

“I am not—“

Shuuichi took a deep breath as the group dissolved into loud and disjointed bickering that he struggled to make any sense of until he could hear Kirumi’s voice through the mess, “For him to be attacked like that, he’d have to have already figured something out about the island that the rest of us didn't know yet.”

“Kirumi’s right!” He shouted, voice reaching over the crowd as the arguments died down quickly, attention turned back to him. “At least, partway. See, it’s not that Kokichi already knew something that he hadn't shared yet, it’s that he was about to learn something important! When Kokichi was attacked, he was running across the roof of the warehouse, the same place that we were able to locate the number sequence. So, the traitor probably panicked when they realized what he was close to discovering, and had him attacked to keep him quiet.”

“But he probably wouldn't even share anything important with the rest of us anyways, so why go through all of that trouble to keep the mouth shut of someone who no one is going to believe int he first place?”

The detective could only shrug at that, “We had only just crashed here when it happened, and I don't think any of us knew each other well enough back then to predict how we would behave in different situations yet. Like I didn't think that Iruma and Angie would get along well enough to design and construct living quarters, but we’ve been living in this cabins for quite a while now.”

“So if the first mystery was Kokichi’s concussion because he was about to discover something important in getting us off the island, the second being Amami and I being attacked by the mechs because we were getting the group to work together instead of erupting into chaos, then what was the third?” Kaede asked from across the circle, eager to hear more into Shuuichi’s theory.

“Well what happened after we found Amami again? Something that served to set all of us back in terms of escaping this island?” He prodded, hoping for the rest of the group to catch onto the patterns themselves and confirm what he and Kokichi already believed to be true.

Kiibo was the one to answer, voice decisive, “The fire. The next major setback was the ship we were building to get away with was burnt down.”

“But I thought everyone had alibis during that day?” Korekiyo asked, voice curious. 

“We all did, but some had holes in them that couldn't properly be answered,” Shuuichi responded. “Most were clear, with the exceptions of Maki that morning, Hoshi in the afternoon, and possibly you, Korekiyo, in the afternoon, but we came to the conclusion that none of you could have done it because we determined the fire to have been started by a mech.”

“So now you want to revisit what happened that day.” Maki clarified. “Well, while I cannot establish an alibi for that morning, I want to get away from here just as much as the rest of you, so it couldn't have been me.”

Hoshi gave his own sound of agreement before making his own case. “I cant prove it, but I don’t see burning the ship down as anything worth doing.”

“And, as I said before,” Korekiyo spoke up, “I was watching Angie work on her art, and as I did before, I can describe what she was doing for her to verify.”

Shuuichi shook his head, trying to work past the glares that two of the three who had leapt to defend themselves were giving him right then. “I don't need any of you to do that, I don't believe any of you were behind the burning of the ship at all.”

“Then who?” Maki questioned, expression loosening ever so slightly.

“There was one person who, although they had an alibi for the morning and afternoon that day, never bothered to explain how they got from one to the other, and what they were doing in between them. In fact, it lines up very conveniently for them that they so happened to run into someone else who was exploring the jungle just before the two of them were alerted to the fire. And there was something else that they did that, at the time, simply rubbed me the wrong way, but now, looking back, doesn't fit in with the situation.

“Back when we had first gathered around to put out the fire, they had said something to me that I didn't question enough at the time. In regards to the ship being burnt, they said, ‘Who would do something so…’ and at the time, I couldn't figure out what that question had made me so uneasy, but now it makes perfect sense. They couldn't have known that there even was a _who_ behind the fire at all. At the time, only a few of us even knew that the fire had been started by pouring fuel from one of the mechs all over it and then lighting that fuel with a match, and they were not one who would have known that yet, so it simply wouldn't make sense for them to leap to the implication that a single person was at fault when the majority of the group had no idea of the cause of the fire yet.”

“But if the traitor was being so reckless, then wouldn't they already know it was the mech that started the fire? Why would they use _who_ instead of _what_?” Kaede questioned.

“I don't believe a mech was behind the fire at all, actually,” Shuuichi stated. “I believe that the traitor themselves started the fire and then ran into the jungle to get some distance between them and the fire in an attempt to make themselves seem innocent. Unfortunately, it worked at the time, but not anymore.”

“But who was it?” Amami asked, expression growing irritated. “If someone here is _actually_ responsible for everything bad that’s happened to us here then I think it’s fair for us all to know who it is already.”

Shouts of agreement came from scattered parts of the group as Shuuichi considered telling them the identity of the traitor before shaking his head. “No, I cant tell you yet. The best way to go about this is for everyone to have the same evidence and come to their own decision, that is the only way that we will be able to examine every possible explanation.”

Kokichi let out a groan of annoyance as the group slowly came to agree with Shuuichi’s decision. “Every single possibility?”

The detective looked over the smaller boy, giving him a reassuring smile. “I have reason to believe that the number of possible solutions will shorten as we go, don't you?”

The boy’s hand unconsciously moved toward his pocket as he continued to glare at Shuuichi.

“Besides weren't you the one who wanted us to go through every piece of evidence to start with?”

Kokichi groaned again, this time even louder than before. “Fine, but this whole trial thing is already far more boring than I thought it would be, so can we just get it over with already?”

Shuuichi turned his attention back to the group. “That takes us to the fourth event, then. But fair warning, this one may seem a little… out of place compared to the others, and I understand if you don't want to believe it at first, but I know it’s the truth.”

“Well, spit it out already,” Tenko said, voice cautious as she eyed Shuuichi skeptically.

“I’m sure everyone remembers the discovery of the abandoned camp behind the waterfall, correct? Well I don't necessarily think the camp was the hinderance in and of itself. See, that day, we had all been a mix of excited and afraid. Finding the camp meant that we weren't the only ones to crash here, but it also meant that the last people who did likely didn't make it out alive. But even with that, we walked back to the cabins that night more motivated to work towards getting away from here. It wasn't until the next day that suddenly every single person here was dreading the island so much that we each refused to work towards escaping it anymore, simply accepting the belief that the island was inescapable and that we were doomed to die here before any rescue could find us.”

“What’s so weird about that exactly?” Kirumi asked, “Everyone witnessed something that took a toll on their morale was all that happened, it merely had a delayed effect.”

“That’s what I though, too,” Shuuichi explained. “But then I found out that it _didn’t_ affect everyone!” The detective turned to face Kokichi again, giving him a look that he hoped would urge the other into actually contributing to the trial.

With a smug grin now that all eyes were on him, Kokichi threw his arms behind his head as he spoke. “That’s true! That entire time that you guys were all down in the dumps, I was actually doing things still to get us off the island. I have to admit, though, I didn't think we were going to get away from here in the first place, but maybe seeing everyone else, even that optimistic idiot Momota, sealing themselves away in their rooms all depressed and whatnot freaked me the hell out, so of course I started actually putting effort into getting away from this island and all the dumbasses on it that day. Whatever that was scared you guys into believing that we were never going to be rescued, but I guess I already believed that, so nothing changed for me at all until you all weirded me out.”

“At first, I didn't think this tied into the traitor in the slightest,” Shuuichi took Kokichi’s silence as a cue to take the conversation back under his own control. “But then Kokichi made me realize something important, it wasn't until after _everyone_ had been to the waterfall’s cave that we were affected by it.”

“The first time we all went, we were missing some people, and it wasn't until the next day, after those people went to the waterfall that everyone was changed,” Kokichi threw in.

“And among the group that went to the waterfall the second day, one was the same person who asked that out of place question back when the ship was burnt down,” Shuuichi finished.

The group grew quiet as they processed the information, and the detective could only hope that it was going over well. Among them, Tenko, Kirumi, and Hoshi appeared as though they were still uncertain over the possibility that the decrease in morale that the detective had just explained truly held any value in the trial, but they kept any disagreeing thoughts to themselves, Kirumi speaking up to ask, “What was the fifth mystery then?”

Shuuichi cleared his throat, the quiet over the group felt more tense than it had before.

“Yeah, nothing’s happened since then,” Himiko said, voice tired.

“Actually, something did happen, but only to the people who had recovered from the fourth event by then,” he clarified. “An idea of using the mechs to construct a plane big enough to take one or two of us to the nearest civilized area to seek rescue came about. At the time, Kokichi was the only one that wasn't being brought down by the traitor, and he used the idea to shake me from the control so that I could help him gather the broken down mechs together so that the plan could come together.”

“And then next thing I know,” Kokichi interrupts, eyes wide, “The mechs that I was taking pieces fro have been taken apart and hidden around the island, leading Shuuichi and me to search around in the rain for the missing pieces!”

The detective nodded to verify the story when the rest of the group looked to him questioningly. “Once we felt that we had enough pieces gathered, we then got Kiibo and Iruma from the cabins and convinced them to help with the idea.”

Kiibo gave his own sound of affirmation in the retelling of what happened.

“Then, once we had a functioning plane, we decided to bring Kaito into the plan, so that he and Iruma would be the ones to take the aircraft to Hawaii and get help, one who could use our coordinates to know how to get to Hawaii in the fist place and then speak in English once they got there and another who would be able to fix any mechanical problems that might arise along the way there. Since the plane proved to be successful in getting at least two of us off the island, it’s safe to assume that the traitor would have wanted to prevent it from being completed, which allows us to place them as being at fault of rah pieces being taken apart and hidden from us.”

“That seems out of character, though, doesn't it?” Tsumugi asked. “Up until then, everything that the traitor had done had been so drastic, while hiding mech pieces just feels so… mundane.”

Shuuichi hummed in agreement. “I agree with you in the sense that the fifth mystery was much more plain than those before, but for that reason, I believe it makes it more obvious in who the traitor was. After all, I don't think it would make sense for someone with such a low morale to do something to out of control when they were eased away in their own room following the discovery of the waterfall.”

“But why would the mastermind not take that moment to do something even more extreme than in the past? Seeing as the majority of us weren't able to bear witness, why would they take the chance to go all out?” Maki’s voice came out more confused than anything else, the twin tailed girl not knowing the answer to her own question in the slightest.

“I think that the traitor was just as affected as the rest of us, if not more, by the discovery of the waterfall and the sense of pessimism that came following. In fact, seeing as no one else was brought down until after the traitor went there themselves, I think that the fourth mystery may not have even been intentional, and that the traitor may have just been so heavily affected by it that it spread to the rest of us like some kind of emotional disease,” Shuuichi explained.

“But why would the waterfall be so significant to the traitor that it would affect them _that_ much?” Kiibo questioned. “Everything else so far makes at least some sense, but why, of everything that’s happened, was it the waterfall that caused all of that?”

Shuuichi opened his mouth to speak, but no words came.

_Kiibo… has avery good point._ He realized.

“Hey, Shuuichi,” Kokichi spoke when no one else did. “Wasn’t it you who said that you didn't think the people had been here for a long time? Something about there being a lot of dust and dirt on the sleeping bags I think?”

He hesitated before responding, unsure of where the other boy was going with this. “… Yes?”

“How long would you guess? If you had to give an exact number?”

Shuuichi thought back to the cave behind the waterfall, trying his best to recall the stale scent and the dirt lining everything in it to the best of his abilities. “Maybe a few years?”

“And wasn't there something else we found here that happened about three years ago?” Kokichi prodded, gaze expectant as he watched the detective’s face screw up in confusion and then focus as he tried to recall exactly what Kokichi was trying tell him. 

He thought hard, through memories of mechs, abandoned warehouse, polar bears, old broken bridges, and dirt lined sleeping bags but kept drawing up blanks until suddenly, Kiibo perked up.

“Three years! The number sequence was repeating for three years when we found it! Remember, you and Iruma had said that when you got back after first discovering it, Shuuichi. You told us the repeated number sequence, and then that it gave a single, increasing number following each recitation of the sequence, up in the five million range, three years of repeating that sequence.”

“But what do the two have in common? Are you sure this isn't just some coincidence? Like the number five matching how many mechs there are _and_ how many mysteries we’ve had to solve?” Maki’s expression was doubtful as she spoke, gaze turning back to Shuuichi from the roboticist next to her.

“Weirder things have happened,” was all he could say. “Maybe the number sequence started up after the last people to get stranded here died. It’s kind of far fetched, but so is just about everything else that’s happened since we got here.”

“Why would the numbers start up then, though?” Kirumi asked. “What would those people dying have to do with a number sequence centered on us?”

Shuuichi let himself grow quiet as he fell into thought, the rest of the group continuing to debate around him. 

Everything that had happened to them in regards to this island all came back to the number sequence, and on top of that, everything that had happened had some form of reason behind it, so what would the death of the previous inhabitants of the island have to do with the number sequence starting? He hadn't thought there to be any connection between the group that he stood on the beach debating with and the last group to be there, but with this new piece of evidence thrown in, he had to figure out where it was supposed to fit in the broad scheme of things. 

And even when he was fairly certain he knew where this last piece of the puzzle was supposed to fit, he hesitated to accept it.

“There’s,” he started, pausing as he worried over whether he wanted to even continue on with the trial at this point, but if he was right, then he knew the trial _had _to be completed before they could leave the island. Clearing his throat and steeling his nerves, he started over. “There’s actually another matter that I wanted to discuss. Something weird about this island that I think could be important in figuring out why the traitor did what they did, and more importantly, _how_ >”__

__Attention was turned back to Shuuichi once again, and although he still doubted whether he was truly willing to discuss something so confusing with the group, he pressed on. “It’s time for us to talk about why the island is so predictable and impossible. Why there are bugs from entirely different ecosystems, polar bears chasing us around, and why every time that anyone would approach the broken cockpit of the plane, it would storm dangerously to ward us away from it.”_ _

__“I only have one more piece of evidence, but I believe that it ties everything together. And while I know that what I’m about to say is very… different than the rest of the evidence I’ve provided, I only ask that you please, just let me share the evidence before you start arguing over it.”_ _

__The group seemed uneasy at Shuuichi’s plea, but no one outright argued, and the detective took that as his cue to go on._ _

__“I think that— no, I _know_ that the number fifteen in the sequence we heard refers to how many people survived the plane crash.”_ _

__Around him, he could see that the group was barely keeping back from arguing against his statement, so he continued on before anyone could break the silence to disagree with him on account of basic math regarding how many people were in the group._ _

__“Fifteen of us crashed here on that flight, and one of us was here already. And I think I understand how they got here now,” he said. “Polar bears, abnormal bugs, storms these are things that are common knowledge, things that any one of us could imagine without needing to be reminded of what they look like. Whenever we got too close to finding something we weren't supposed to, one of those things would deter us, either by chasing us across an unsteady bridge over a giant chasm or by knocking over the cockpit of the plane with powerful gusts of wind and rain as we try to climb through it._ _

__“And I would have simply brushed all of these off as coincidence, but then something happened. Kokichi and I went back to the cockpit of the plane recently, I didn't know why he wanted to go so badly at first, but I knew he shouldn't go alone, so I went with him. When we were there, we tried to get to the front of the plane, but it started storming so terribly that Kokichi couldn't make it to the cockpit at all. Once I got there, the storm got even worse, and the entire section of the plane was shaking around so badly that I feared for my safety. But the second I had found what I went searching for in there, the storm ended and the sky cleared up back to the bright blue it had been before we reached the broken plane. And if that didn't make the connection between the island’s environment and the traitor clear enough, what Kokichi and I had found in that plane most certainly did.”_ _

__With that, Kokichi reached back towards his pockets, fishing out the small journal he had shoved into his jacket earlier and tossing it over to Shuuichi who fumbled briefly before catching it and flipping through the pages._ _

__Around him, the group watched with curiosity until he found the page he was looking for, eyes skimming through a list of names one last time before looking back up to the expectant gazes of the group around him._ _

__“With the connection of the previous inhabitants vanishing three years ago, I think I finally understand how all of this started,” Shuuichi began, voice filling out with decisiveness as he spoke. “Several years ago, a separate group of individuals were baited to this island in one way or another, and landed a small aircraft of their own here. However, they were unable to leave, and as such, decided to repurpose their plane by breaking it into pieces that they then used to construct mechs that would help to protect them from the nature of the island. No rescue came, and three years ago, that group died. However, one member of the group lingered, in one form or another, giving the island a voice through which to call out to others, leading to the occurrence of the number sequence, the direct result of supernatural interference working through the island and vice versa._ _

__“Once the fifteen of us crashed here, the lingering member of the original group woke up alongside us, whether they were aware of it or not. From there, every time that we would get close to escaping this island, they would prevent our success, I believe that it had originally been subconscious, that the traitor knew on one level that they were going to be stuck here alone if we left, and as a result they willed for that not to happen, leading the mechs to operate against us in two instances without intending for that to happen. By the time we had the ship nearly built, this individual panicked, possibly growing aware of differences between themselves and the rest of us, and acted drastically out of fear, burning down the ship and keeping us here with them. They were probably confused and terrified at that point, only aware that they were not one of us, but unsure of why or how._ _

__“It wasn't until they were shown the abandoned camp behind the waterfall that they understood what had happened, that they had been a part of the group that had been here up until three ears ago. Distraught, their depression at the realization spread on to the rest of the group, as the were forced to understand that they had already lost to the island and that there was no way for them to escape anymore. When they realized that Kokichi and I had then taken to finding another way off the island by using their own mechs, and thus their own plane, they grew even more fearful and angry that they felt the need to act out again, but they were still so greatly affected by the waterfall discovery that they were unable to dedicate themselves to stopping me and Kokichi, so they simply his the pieces we had been looking for._ _

__“Then, finally, when Kokichi and I had sought out the cockpit in order to find this journal, they gave one final attempt to prevent our discovering their identity, but once I held this journal in my hands, they knew it was too late, and that they were found out._ _

__“The traitor is a ghost of the island’s past, and is therefore not one of us, leaving the number of survivors at fifteen,” he explained. “This is a back up directory of flight information kept by the pilot, listing passengers including: Angie Yonaga, Gonta Gokuhara, Himiko Yumeno, Kiibo Idabashi, Kaede Akamatsu, Kaito Momota, Kokichi Ouma, Korekiyo Shinguji, Maki Harukawa, Miu Iruma, Rantarou Amami, Ryouma Hoshi, Shuuichi Saihara, Tenko Chabashira, and flight attendant Kirumi Toujo,” Shuuichi read._ _

__The group around him had remained silent for his entire explanation, expressions turning from doubtful to intrigued to lost for a reaction as Shuuichi finished his argument._ _

__“But that…” Kaede mumbled from the other side of the circle._ _

__“Tsumugi?” Kirumi looked to the girl standing next to her with a hurt and confused expression._ _

__Slowly, the survivors’ attention slowly turned from Shuuichi to the blah haired girl in question. Her gaze was directed at Shuuichi, but he couldn't help but feel as though she were staring right through him in that moment, his own words sinking in._ _

__“But I…” she started before trailing off. “I didn't mean…”_ _

__Kokichi scoffed at her words. “Aren’t you even going to try and defend yourself here?”_ _

__Tsumugi’s expression screwed up in frustration at that, “I _have_ been defending myself!”_ _

__Shuuichi took a step back in surprise at the sudden outburst from the typically relaxed girl._ _

__“And how exactly have you done that? All you’ve done this entire time is sit there and occasionally ask dumb questions that you obviously already knew the answer to!” Kokichi fired back, only leading the girl to get even more irritated._ _

__“I’ve done everything I could since I realized the truth! I didn't remember until _you guys_ forced me to go to that horrible place!” She argued, “Do you have any idea what it’s like to be stuck all alone on an island in the middle of nowhere for _three years!”__ _

__“No and I’d prefer not to! So why are you trying so hard to get us stuck here with you! Don't you realize that some of us have some lives we’d like to get back to away from here!?”_ _

__“Don’t you realize that I’d love to have the same!?” Tsumugi shouted, tears beginning to form in her sharp gaze._ _

__The sight shocked Shuuichi back into the moment, sending him to step in between the two before they could continue on with their shouting match, facing Tsumugi with an apologetic expression as he did, reaching out a hand to her and hoping that she wouldn't refuse it and slap it away._ _

__Instead, she just started at it for a moment, eyes slowly softening before she reached out to accept the hand being offered her. Once he was certain that he had her attention, Shuuichi spoke quietly, not daring to get the rest of the group involved so that he could keep her as calm as possible in that moment._ _

__“I know it doesn't change anything,” he started, unsure of what he should even say to comfort the girl. “But I’m really sorry about what happened to you.”_ _

__Tsumugi continued to stare at Shuuichi, watery gaze shaking as she gave a nearly silent response, voice broken, “I don't want to be alone again. When all of you showed up, I forgot what it felt like, I was one of you, but then I remembered and—“ her voice shook as it cracked into one of fear and sorrow, “I can’t do it again, I just can’t! Please don't leave me all alone again…”_ _

__Shuuichi fought to keep himself steady, knowing full well that they couldn't stay on the island until they all died as well, but still finding himself moved to a heartbreaking sense of empathy for the girl that would be left behind by everyone that she had come to trust for the second time, three years later. “You know we can’t do that, Tsumugi. We would never want to leave you alone here, but we have to leave. Think about everyone you knew outside of this island, and how badly you want to go back to them, because that’s how we feel, too. Our friends, our families, we just want to go back home. That’s all we want.”_ _

__The girl was quiet then, gaze dropping from Shuuichi’s to look down to the ground in silent thought._ _

__“You have to let us go, Tsumugi. If you don't then we may never be able to leave this island, and we’ll never get to go back home, and you know how that feels.”_ _

__The girl remained silent as she stared downward._ _

__“You have to let go.”_ _

__Around him, the rest of the survivors watched carefully, and Shuuichi was sure they were considering the gravity of the situation just as much as he was, concerns over whether Tsumugi’s turmoil could find a way to prevent their escape right then just as much as it had five times before._ _

__After a few minutes of silence, she finally spoke, voice coming across more certain than Shuuichi thought she was capable of in that moment. “Fifteen survivors. Not sixteen?”_ _

__The detective gave an uneasy nod. “Fifteen.”_ _

__“And not zero?”_ _

__Swallowing back his nerves, he gave another small nod. “Fifteen.”_ _

__Faintly, Shuuichi could hear a faint bussing sound beginning to form, every so slightly increasing in volume as the pause between the detective and the girl standing in front of him grew as well until she eventually took a step back, hand slipping from Shuuichi’s grip as she did. Glancing across the survivors, she gave each a careful look before settling back on Shuuichi, giving a whisper of a statement as she did so, “Fifteen.”_ _

__Her soft voice was almost drowned out as the faint buzzing grew even louder, and Shuuichi found his attention being pulled away as Maki let out a shout, pointing off to his right with wide eyes. Focus turning from the others to where the twin tailed girl had been pointing, his eyes widened as he saw dark colored dots growing closer over the horizon, the buzzing roaring into the telltale sounds of engines approaching._ _

__He turned back to face the girl, to give her one last for doc gratitude for letting them leave, but when he did, he was only faced with empty air in front of the shimmering of a setting sun on the beach that had become so familiar to him over the past few months._ _

__Staring out across the sunlight reflecting over the waves, he didn't look away, even when the propellors of the helicopters kicked up sand and dirt around him. He didn't break his gaze away until the wind died down and a familiar boy pulled up next to him, hand slipping into Shuuichi’s own._ _

__“So that’s it?” The small boy asked next to him._ _

__“I guess it is,” he answered, voice flat with exhaustion from all that had happened._ _

__“It’s kind of weird, isn't it?”_ _

__“What is?” Shuuichi questioned, turning to look to the other boy only to find him staring out across the sea, the light of the setting sun reflected in his gaze._ _

__“We all spent so long trying to leave this island, but suddenly leaving just feels wrong,” Kokichi said._ _

__Shuuichi didn't know how to even respond to the observation, so he simply gave a sound of agreement, eyes turning back to face the rolling waves in front of them._ _

__Behind them, he could hear the sounds of everyone chattering excitedly as they were ushered into the two helicopters that had arrived, but he tuned out the noise in favor of the crashing of waves._ _

__“What do you think happens next?” Kokichi asked, voice wavering with uncertainty._ _

__The detective was quiet for a long time before answering, unsure of how he even could answer the question. “Well I think I missed the investigation that my uncle needed help with.”_ _

__Kokichi let out a small giggle at that Shuuichi cracking a grin as the quiet laughter built up until Kokichi was snorting with laughter. Between breathes, he barely managed to get out his justification as Shuuichi softly laughed to himself at the reaction he had earned from the other boy, “It’s been a very long day, and I cannot _believe_ that the only thing on your mind about going home is getting back to work.”_ _

__Shuuichi scoffed playfully at that, pulling Kokichi along with him as he turned to trod through the sand and to the helicopter. “Listen—“_ _

__“Actually, I definitely can believe it and it is definitely what I love about you.” Kokichi’s laugh suddenly cut off after his brain caught up to his mouth, but Shuuichi just gave his hand a light squeeze and spoke before Kokichi could go back on what he had said._ _

__“Really? Is that what you love about me?” He started, tone light as he went on, “Not my natural leadership? Or my extreme amount of patience? What about my bold personality?”_ _

__“Bold!?” Kokichi exclaimed, expression twisted into something between horror and amusement. “How are you, Shuuichi Saihara, bold in any way? If anyone here is the bold one it’s me, _and_ I can prove it!”_ _

__“Oh? How so?” He asked, glancing over his shoulder with a look of apprehensive curiosity that was wiped from his face in place of confusion as the hand he had laced with Kokichi’s was yanked backwards, turning the deceive around to face the smaller boy before a free hand reached up to tangle in dark locks, pulling him down so that their lips met._ _

__Shuuichi felt his eyes slip closed as he moved the hand not currently tangled which Kokichi’s own slip down to press into the other’s back, pulling him in closer as they stood together on the beach. Forgetting the rest of the world, all Shuuichi wanted to focus on right then was the boy in front of him and the lips pressed against his own. Nothing else, no islands, no ghosts, no investigations mattered as much as that moment._ _

__“Will you two degenerates stop being so disgusting right in front of all of us and just get in the helicopter already!” Tenko’s booming voice made Shuuichi jump, stepping back from Kokichi and turning to shoot the rest of the group and apologetic smile as he realized that everyone else was already ready to leave and were left waiting on Kokichi and him._ _

__Hand still tangled with Shuuichi’s own, Kokichi made his way forward, practically dragging the detective along with him towards the helicopters, and as they loaded up into them, he couldn't help marveling at how some things never really changed despite it all._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hhhhhhhh this feels weird to say but there's only one chapter left
> 
> hopefully this ending actually works for yall!! its what ive had planned since i first included in the number sequence back in like chapter nine or so, up until then i had a few ideas for endings but nothing concrete decided, but now here we are !
> 
> the final chapter will be here to wrap up any loose ends soon, and until then you guys are 100% the best for sticking with this fic for so long, and im glad to have been able to produce something that you could enjoy along with me


	31. Chapter 31

_JANUARY 12 — The Dangan Research Organization’s most recent endeavor, a group of researchers intended to fly from Narita, JPN to Honolulu, HI to study the active volcanoes of the islands, has come to an abrupt end as the flight was last heard from hundreds of miles away from their destination, reporting dangerous travel conditions before losing all connection with air traffic control. Members of the lost research group include team director Ikue Dogami, as well as team members Mekuru Katsuragi, Kenji Tsuruhashi, and studying intern Tsumugi Shirogane. Search parties have been sent to the area that the plane was expected to have experienced a water landing, updates are to follow._

Shuuichi frowned at the screen of his laptop as he read through article after article, desperate to find as much information on the sixteenth member of the group that he had spent so much time with on the island, but so far all he could find was a date and four names. 

_APRIL 12 — It is today that the 90 time limit established in reference to searching for the missing flight of the Dangan Research Organization passes, and investigators of the disappearance have been forced to close their search for the flight and its passengers, now presumed dead. Team Dangan has stated that, “It is with a heavy heart that we must accept the loss of our dedicated and dearly missed research team. Each member lost to this tragedy takes with them infinite possibilities for further advancement in humanity, taken away from us all far too soon.”_

_Families of the missing researchers are pressing the organization for more information, some going as far as to pursue a lawsuit due to suspicions that the loss of the flight and researchers included arose as a direct result of the organization’s negligence in the monitoring of the flight. The organization refutes these claims, while refusing to provide details over the manufacturing and maintenance that the plane taken by the researchers had undergone prior to the tragic final flight it took._

Shuuichi’s frown turned into a scowl as he read the article, rereading the last sentence until the words stayed behind his eyelids when he closed them, anger bubbling as the potential cause of the crash that had killed four innocent people became clear.

Searching through for more details on any lawsuit that could have potentially followed the article he had just finished reading’s publication date, he struggled to find anything even hinting towards a case that involved the Dangan Research Organization in the slightest. That is, until he finally found an article that included something else even more important hidden in the bottom of an entirely unrelated article that he was lucky enough to stumble upon in his search.

_Shirogane family to drop lawsuit against research team and organization connected to daughter’s disappearance_

“That’s it!?” Shuuichi’s frustration finally boiled over as he nearly tossed his laptop in his moment of irritation. “All of that and they just dropped the suit entirely!”

A gentle knock at his door sounded in the background and the detective took a breath to regather himself before calling out permission for whoever was on the other side to come into his room. With an attempt at a reassuring smile, Shuuichi’s uncle slowly opened the door and made his way over to the boy, sitting next to him on the mess of sheets and blankets that covered his bed so that he could glance at the laptop screen in front of the boy.

“Is this what you've been locked away here doing?” His uncle asked, voice gentle as he moved a hand to close the laptop carefully. “You haven't left your room in days, Shuuichi, you’ve been getting calls from so many people asking to talk to you and you’ve turned all of them down. Maybe it’s time for a little break, don't you think?”

He found himself growing tense as his uncle spoke, despite the way that he knew the kind words were supposed to help him relax. 

“They just forgot about her,” Shuuichi started, voice coming out quieter than he planned. “She died and they just left her all alone like that.”

It probably would have helped his uncle if he had actually ever told him about the sixteenth person on the island with them, but the group had decided once they left, all together, that telling stories of a ghost on the island with them could only lead to trouble as they would be brought into doubt and Tsumugi would never truly be given the chance to let go if they worked to drag her back when she finally tried to move on from all that had happened.

“Who was she?” His uncle tried, and Shuuichi grew irritated with himself for doubting how much he could confide in his uncle through everything.

“She was on the island before us,” he said. “If it weren't for her, I don't think we would have ever been able to escape.”

His uncle fell silent for a moment then before pulling the laptop over to himself instead, slipping it open and typing something that Shuuichi didn't bother trying to look over his shoulder to read, instead choosing to focus on looking at the mess around his room. He should probably clean that, but he was too busy trying to figure out what exactly happened to Tsumugi that he had been to distracted to take care of the mess, and by now, stopping to clean felt like he was just abandoning her like everyone else. 

“So it seems like a dead end because the case was dropped?”

Shuuichi nodded his head wordlessly. 

“Why does that make it a dead end?”

He looked over at his uncle with a confused expression. “It’s their daughter, they wouldn't have dropped the lawsuit unless they realized it would be a waste of time and money, in other words that they had no proof that their claims were true and they were going to lose.”

“Or maybe they had all of the resources they needed, but the company offered them more money to keep quiet than they would have one in a lawsuit,” his uncle suggested.

 _That… actually does make sense,_ Shuuichi realized, sitting up with a start. “Then that means that there really is a case for her, and all they’d need was evidence that the Organization is at fault for her death! All they need is an investigator to reopen the case and put together enough evidence to prove them to be at fault, one who was doing it for the sake of whats right instead of what gets them money!”

“If only there were an investigator like that,” his uncle said, lips turning into a kind smile as he gave Shuuichi an encouraging look.

The boy rose from his place on the messy sheets, understanding the message his uncle was trying to send him and turning to look across the mess of his room one more time. “One thing at a time,” he said, more to himself than anything else, as he started to move around his room, straightening the sheets on his bed with his uncle’s help before making his way around his room and picking up anything out of place.

* * *

After they had gotten to Hawaii, the group had stuck together until their families and friends began to show up, and Shuuichi felt regretful over how he had been so swept up with the reunion between himself and his uncle that he had missed out on properly parting ways with the people that he had grown so close with over the past several months.

Now, he was sitting in a coffee shop and scouring everywhere he could online until he finally had a list of fourteen phone numbers next to him. Taking a deep breath, he lifted his phone up, typing each number carefully before double and triple checking that he had each of them written down correctly before he finally typed the best message he could and hit send before he had the chance to overthink what he had typed.

**SS : Hey everyone, this is Shuuichi Saihara. Do you think we could have one more group meeting?**

For a while, there was no response, and Shuuichi began to wonder whether he had the right numbers at all when his phone buzzed in his hand, surprising him so much that he almost dropped it.

**KO : We all know ur name already, silly Shumai, no need to introduce yourself :P**

The detective felt a grin spread across his face at the message, and soon enough the other numbers came to life as well, each greeting the other until they eventually settled on a time and place that the group could get together.

In front of him, various papers and files were scattered around the table that he had settled into in the corner of the cafe, all centered around his laptop that had more tabs open on it the he could be bothered to count. Each and every piece of information that he had surrounded himself with had one important link, though. Every file, every document, every folder, every page contained the words “Team Dangan” and “Aircraft Manufacturing.” The very few that didn’t were riddled with one specific name. He was going to figure out why Tsumugi was taken away three years ago and he was going to make sure that everyone else knew, too.

Nothing like what happened to the blue haired girl was going to happen to anyone else ever again if he could help it.

It wasn't until a few hours later that the detective heard his phone buzzing again, and his attention finally broke from the documents all around him to the phone he had shoved into his pocket while he was working. Once he looked at the screen, though,, he realized that it been buzzing more than just once, but he was just too focused to notice until then, seeing as he had plenty of messages accounting for the time since he had spoken with the group chat of survivors.

**KO : Really good that we’re all in Japan still isn't it mr. Detective? Sure would've been hard to do a long distance group meeting nishishi~**

**KO : Oh wait Skype exists**

**KO : But while we’re on the topic, what exactly do you plan for this group meeting? I have a feeling it’s not just meant to be a fun little get together >:3c**

**KO : And while we’re at that, what would it take for me to get a sneak peak into the meeting, seeing as we haven't spent any time together since we left the island**

**KO : ?**

**KO : Is my beloved ignoring me!?**

**KO : I can feel the Tears(TM) coming!!**

**KO : Shuu?? You ok? I was just joking !**

Shuuichi glanced through the messages, a little guilty over how long he had managed to accidentally ignore them before sending a response.

**SS : did you actually type your laugh?**

**SS : _Shuuichi Saihara started sharing his location_**

Shuuichi turned his attention back to the documents around him again, this time putting his phone on the table where he could still see it instead of shoving it into his pocket where he wouldn't be able to hear it get alerts. So far, he had a fair amount of evidence lined up in his favor, and he was sure that when he gave his final proposition to the rest of the group, that they would agree it would work as a final piece of evidence that would guarantee them victory in any kind of case against Team Dangan.

Scribbling down more information into his notebook, he took the chance to glance over the list of key evidence he had gathered so far, eyes scanning over words like “inconsistent maintenance scheduling” and “repeated use of faulty parts.”

“Oooh, looks like Mr. Detective over here is back to working his investigations already!” A familiar voice cooed from behind Shuuichi before arms wrapped around him from behind, a head full of purple hair planting itself on his shoulder as the boy looked over the piles of papers covering the table. “Really though, what’s this?”

Before Shuuichi could even answer, Kokichi had already snatched his notebook and pulled it away as he swung around the table to fill the empty seat across from the detective. 

“Team Dangan?” He asked as his eyes followed across the lines of notes. “You think they have something to do with what happened to Tsumugi.”

The light expression left Kokichi’s face as he read through the page more carefully then, “Well it looks like you might actually have a good case here, Shumai. I assume this is why you wanted to get everyone together for a one month reunion?”

“Has it really been a month?” Was all that Shuuichi could bother to ask as he went back to scanning over articles, highlighter now in hand. It really didn't feel like an entire month had already passed, but when he really thought about it, it did make sense. His first reaction when he got back home was to bury himself in investigative work, trying to distract himself from what had already happened by making up for lost time in his detective work. At least, that is, until he had grown courageous enough to try and research into Tsumugi Shirogane’s life, which turned into an investigation of its own that led him to the cafe right then, Kokichi sitting across from him.

“I figured it would be a good idea to only go through with this if the rest of the group agreed that it was a good idea, too. Tsumugi was important to all of us, and I think that with something as heavy and potentially impactful as this investigation, everyone that was involved deserves to have their voice heard.”

“And you don't just want an excuse to spend time with everyone else again?” Kokichi asked, eyes breaking away from the notes he had been reading to meet Shuuichi’s, gaze sparkling with a playful energy that made the detective finally realize that a full month had passed without his favorite shade of purple making an appearance. Maybe burying himself in his investigations hadn't been what he needed at all.

“Hey Kokichi,” he started, unsure of where exactly he was trying to go with this. “I don't know about how you feel, because I’m not you, but everything I said on the island, I meant. I really do love… being around you like that.”

Kokichi simply stared at him in silence for a moment before a grin spread across his face. “I thought you were supposed to be bold, Shumai! but that’s alright because I’m bold enough for the both of us.”

Not giving Shuuichi a chance to respond, Kokichi got up from his seat and moved his chair next to Shuuichi’s own and dropped down into it, pulling his feet up and leaning into the detective as he grabbed one of the articles and extra highlighters from the table, leaving Shuuichi to watch with a confused expression as the comforting weight of the other boy pressed against him. “So let’s work together on this, my beloved.”

Shuuichi’s confusion shifted into a more comforted feeling as he let the unspoken words fill him with reassurance.

“So does this mean we’re…”

“Shuuichi if you actually have the _audacity_ to ask me if we are boyfriends, after kissing me out of nowhere in underground tunnels, watching the stars with me, exploring a mysterious island alone together, fighting giant robots by my side, and making out with my in front of _all_ of our friends on a gorgeous beach with the fucking sunset in the background like something straight out of a cheesy rom-com, I am going to get up from this seat and walk out of this cafe because I’m pretty sure you should know the answer to that question by now.”

Shuuichi shut his mouth promptly, taking the answer to his unfinished question with more of a flustered expression than he would care to admit and instead trying to focus on the documents scattered around them both rather than the cute boyfriend laying against his side as he helped to read through the documents. But when he did spare glance to the side, he could only imagine how ridiculous his expression might have been when he saw that the other boy was just as red as he was.

* * *

Every muscle in Shuuichi’s body felt tense as he stared down the doors in front of him. With everyone in the group expressing an interest in rejoining, they had quickly turned to arguing over where the large group could actually meet together without causing the major disturbance that Shuuichi felt was inevitable when all fifteen of them were brought together. After a lot of arguing between some who wanted absolutely nothing to do with picking a spot and some who were determined to host wherever they wanted to, they finally settled on Kiibo’s suggestion. The roboticist had explained that his university had many empty rooms and halls that students were free to reserve for their own use when they needed to, which had sounded way too good for the group to pass up, in Shuuichi's opinion.

But now, standing in front of the door to the room that Kiibo had texted them that morning, he hesitated. 

_What if they aren't here after all? What if they just lied and said they would come, but backed out without letting me know._

The hand gripping Shuuichi’s gave a reassuring squeeze before Kokichi took matters into his own hands, breaking the grip to reach forward and throw the doors open wide, the boy loudly proclaiming his grand entrance to the crowd of familiar faces filling the room.

Kaito didn’t even need to process the small boy’s presence before he let out a loud groan and turned from his conversation with Maki and Kaede to turn and berate him for being so noisy when there could be other students trying to study in the rooms around theirs.

“It’s good to see you again, Saihara,” Amami said as he came to stand next to him. “Honestly, I was kind of worried that I wouldn't get to see any of you again. Even Ouma, it seems.”

Across the room, Kokichi had progressed from bickering with Kaito to tugging at Maki’s sleeve in attempt to drag her to his defense while Kaede laughed at the scene, drawing an absentminded smile from the detective as his lingering nerves over the meeting faded in an instant.

“It feels like I shouldn't want to be around anyone else, like they should make me feel sad and angry and scared after what we went through, stuck on the island with each other for so long. But all I feel is inspiration,” Amami went on, gaze sweeping across the room. “I don't see a reminder of the worst experience of my life, I see a reminder that we can overcome any challenge we face.”

As he finished, the other boy turned to face Shuuichi, but his words had left the detective feeling doubtful over how his idea would be received by everyone else, and the backpack hanging from his shoulders suddenly felt like they contained the weight of the world.

_I hope you’re right, Amami._

A sudden clap against the back of Shuuichi’s shoulder snapped his attention to Kaito as the other boy stood to his right, the group he had been with when he had gotten there with Kokichi coming over behind him, each giving their own polite greeting while the purple haired boy gave Shuuichi the warmest welcome he could. The detective found it safe to assume that he hadn't really cared about other students studying as much as he did finding something to bicker Kokichi over given how loud his greeting was.

“Shuuichi, bro! It’s been ages, how’ve you been?”

Deciding against telling his friend how he had locked himself in his room, researching Tsumugi for weeks before finally texting them, he smiled back at the other. “I’ve been busy with detective work is all. But on that topic, I kind of had a reason for texting everyone out of the blue like that.”

“Oh you’ve got some kind of plan?” Kaito asked, voice somewhat teasing.

“I don't think it’d be Saihara if he didn't make plans for a group meeting without some surprise reason behind it,” Korekiyo said with a slight lilt to his voice. Shuuichi glanced at the long haired boy, slightly embarrassed, only to see that he was shaking with laughter at his own joke before steadying himself. “What would this plan happen to be, Saihara?”

Shuuichi took a moment to gather everyone else in the room’s attention. But he stopped in his tracks when he realized that the group around him, some standing with others, some sitting on chairs, Kokichi going as far as to simply sit on the table, were all already facing him, waiting for him to speak. The memory of how difficult it had been to get the groups attention at their first meeting on the island came to him, and the days of the group’s members each shouting over one another to be heard felt impossibly long ago.

“It didn't feel right to me,” he started. “Leaving Tsumugi behind like that, I mean.”

Kiibo gave Shuuichi a sympathetic look before he responded. “There wasn't anything else we could do, though. We just have to accept that she’s gone to us now.”

“Except there is something we can do,” Shuuichi said, confidence returning to his voice for the first time since they had escaped the island. “I did some research—“

“Some!?” Kokichi interrupted.

“A fair amount of research that Kokichi helped me with,” Shuuichi amended, glaring teasingly at the smug boy sitting cross-legged on the table. “And I found some things out about Tsumugi’s disappearance those years ago. See, at first it didn't make any sense, but then it made too much sense.”

The statement earned a confused sound from Kaito paired with Kaede’s own question. “How can something make _too much_ sense?”

Wordlessly, Shuuichi swung his backpack from his shoulders, laying it across the table as he unzipped it and pulled his collection of files and folders from inside. Carefully, he laid out the documents across the expanse of the table, Kokichi taking it upon himself to fix the arrangement of any files that he misplaced in the process without needing to be asked.

“The fuck is this?” Iruma asked, looking at the papers scattered across the table with everyone else, trying to make sense of the jumbled mess of writing and highlighting.

“Tsumugi!” Kaede exclaimed, reaching halfway across the table to point at the highlighted name on one of the printouts. Internally, Shuuichi cringed, hoping she wasn't mixing up the papers by reach across them like she was, but he quickly recovered to answer with a short nod.

“Tsumugi,” He said, voice level as he stared at the name along with everyone else. “From what I could gather, what happened to her was actually pretty simple. She was part of an expedition group from a large research corporation known as Team Dangan. It was difficult finding their reason for heading out in the direction of the island, but that makes sense when you look further into the organization itself.”

He reached for another paper as he continued on in his explanation, “Like this one. It explains that among the hundreds of research expeditions that the organization has undertaken, only a select few’s purposes were ever made public. And on top of that, there’s other articles I have here discussing news that Team Dangan had experienced some form of roadblock in a project that had already been underway that no one even knew was going on until it went wrong somehow, which implies that there could be countless more expeditions headed by the company that no one on the outside even knows happened.

“More importantly, though, is the fact that most of the issues faced by Team Dangan come in the form of malfunctioning technology that they don't have any proof of fixing before reusing.”

By now, everyone was circled around the table, carefully reading over some article or another, Shuuichi could even see that a few were skimming over the notes he had written in the margins.

“What does this mean?” Kirumi asked, turning around the page she was holding so that Shuuichi could read it. “Why would her parents not have gone through with their case against the organization when they had more than enough evidence to prove them at fault for their daughter’s death?”

Shuuichi frowned at the reminder of what he had figured out. “I was confused at first too, but then my uncle pointed something out to me. An organization as secretive and clearly active as Team Dangan clearly holds more secrets than we could even imagine at this point, and a group as secretive as that would do anything to keep the truth from getting out, which would likely include threatening or paying off someone who can prove their lethal flaws before they can get out.

“I believe that Tsumugi’s parents were paid off by the company before any crucial evidence could reach the public, evidence that would have condemned the entire organization. Tsumugi needed someone to defend her when she wasn't there to defend herself, but her parents backed off before they could. What she needs now is people who care more for her than they do for the money that they could be paid to betray her memory. She needs a group to support her.”

Most of the group seemed to eager to agree with Shuuichi, eyes bright at the idea of finally giving Tsumugi the chance to be defended that she had been denied far too many times, both on the island and back home. A few looked less than excited though, Amami even going as far as to speak up, voice filled with doubt as he did. “Does she really deserve something like that? I mean, she _did_ try to kill us. More than a few times, too.”

Hoshi gave a slight nod in agreement from the edge of the group. “He has a good point. She gave Ouma a severe concussion, injured Akamatsu, and if we hadn't found Amami when we did, he would've died of heat exhaustion, dehydration, and starvation all at once because of her.”

“But she didn't even understand what was going on the entire time,” Kaede pointed out. “Tsumugi had to experience dying all over again when she realized the truth, and then again when she was forced to confront it while we all just sat and watched her crumble. She got trapped on the island fro reasons beyond her control, just like us, but she wasn't as fortunate as we were to get away. Even an attempt at a defense is the least we could do.”

Mumbled words of agreement from the room at Kaede’s argument, dying down when Kiibo answered her. “I agree with Akamatsu, I think that Tsumugi deserves to be defended at the least. But how are we supposed to argue on her behalf? Her parents already began to, so why would anyone be willing to listen to us if we were just repeated what’s already been said?”

The white haired boy turned his gaze to Shuuichi, and although his words were demanding not heir own, his expression felt more like a plea for reassurance that he was wrong.

“Because we have something that her parents didn't have,” he started, voice sure. “We know where the island is, and if we can get someone to agree to investigate the island with a team, we could come back with new evidence that they had wound up there, especially if we could find the old plane that they had taken to get there in the first place.”

“Which we do have,” Kokichi interrupted, “The parts for the original plane were reused to create the mechs, and then many of them were used again by Kiibo and Iruma to make the plane to get help when we were stuck there.”

“Exactly. We have all of the proof we need, the only thing missing is someone that can properly investigate the remaining evidence so that we can use it in a case against Team Dangan.” Shuuichi finished.

The smaller boy didn't hesitate to throw in his final words before the group could finish thinking over everything that the two boys had told them thus far. “And lucky for us, we happen to have a detective willing to take the case.”

The group gave out their agreement to the plan, only a few hesitating before nodding along with everyone else. And once Shuuichi had everyone’s confirmation, conversation shifted from Tsumugi and evidence to their own lives and readjustments since getting back from the island.

Time passed faster than Shuuichi ever wanted as he listened to what had been going on in everyone’s lives since they parted ways a month ago. Kaito had joked that he had a lot of catching up to do with his academic work after being gone for so long, before a troubled look took over his expression, telling the detective that he wasn't really joking about how much work he had to do as much as he would've liked to have been. Kiibo seemed to share similar concerns, but as he told Shuuichi about how little he was even getting to do through his school, Shuuichi couldn't keep from wondering if Kiibo was missing the days he spent engineering a plane out of mech pieces with Iruma.

The girl seemed to be summoned by the white haired boy mentioning her name when he was reminiscing over the plane they had built, seeing as she suddenly appeared next to him once he did. Head high and voice proud, she announced how she had landed a spot at the same school as Kiibo, and that she was dying to get back to working with the roboticist on future projects. Kaede had explained to Shuuichi how she had been busy practicing piano since she had gotten back to her everyday life, mentioning how relieved she had been when she realized she hadn't completely forgotten everything about the instrument after her involuntary break.

In fact, as he spoke to everyone from the group, he was pleasantly surprised that nothing had truly changed among them. Even though they hadn't seen each other in a month, they spoke like they had yet to spend a single second apart, simply with more references to mentioning their personal interests more than the serious discussions that had dominated the group when they were still on the island.

Before he even realized how many hours had passed, the group was interrupted by a knock on the door coming from a small group of students that had signed up to use the room after Kiibo.

As they all left, waving a warm farewell to one another, Shuuichi couldn't help from worrying that this time around, their parting ways would last another full month before he could see any of his friends again. But as he left, Kokichi walking behind him quietly, a small and genuine smile gracing his features, Shuuichi found relief and comfort in how his phone almost immediately buzzed back to life, the group chat with everyone in it growing active almost as soon as they could no longer speak in person.

Setting his phone to silent, Shuuichi slipped it back into his pocket as he walked in a comforting silence beside Kokichi on their way back to the train that they had taken to get to Kiibo’s university.

Once they finally boarded the train, he was beyond grateful to find that, in the late weeknight hours, the car was nearly empty, and there were more empty seats than people, letting Kokichi and him slide into the seats beside one another. A warm weight pressed into Shuuichi’s side, and he leaned against it in turn as Kokichi let his head come to rest against Shuuichi’s shoulder, mumbling something about a long day that he didn't quite catch as the rhythmic sounds of the train around them lulled the boys into a light sleep.

* * *

Shuuichi awoke early the next morning, something that the late sleeper had not been expecting in the slightest, but he decided to take full advantage of it, using his time to approach his uncle with the possibility of investigating the island, telling him about the mechs that they had found on the island while trying to seem as indifferent to Tsumugi as possible. The last thing he needed if he was going to attempt launching a serious investigation was his uncle thinking he had gone crazy with his stress because of his determination to defend a ghost. 

Thankfully, his uncle hadn't needed much persuasion, and soon enough, Shuuichi was getting his assistance in putting together a proper team to investigate the island.

There was still one more thing that he needed to do before he started what he didn't doubt would wind up being an exhausting and intense investigation and legal case, though. He just didn't think he’d be able to do it alone.

 

Shuuichi tapped his phone nervously as he waited for a response, concerned that the text may have been to vague to warrant any kind of agreement. Just as he was typing a message to forget the previous one, the response came.

**OK: Well only if I can fit it in with my v busy schedule**

**OK: Which I can**

**OK: I do not have a v busy schedule**

A small grin tugged at the corners of Shuuichi’s lips, breaking through his nerves as he read the lighthearted response from Kokichi.

**SS: meet at the train station? there’s somewhere i need to go**

**OK: U got it, Shumai!!**

Reassured by the fact that Kokichi would be by his side, even without knowing what Shuuichi was dragging him into, the detective pulled his shoes on, giving a passing glance to his hat where it sat on his dresser, slowly collecting dust, as he left his room. He glanced around the living room on his way out of his uncle’s, absently considering that after being stranded on a deserted island with a bunch of strangers, he should be able to handle moving into a place of his own with ease now.

The thought was quickly pushed to the back of his mind, though, as he snagged the umbrella sitting by the door on his way out into the rain.

By the time he reached the station, he was pleased to find that Kokichi was already there, typing away at his phone. When Shuuichi walked up to him, he was met with a curious expression as the other looked up to him. “So where exactly does my beloved want to go today?”

The excitement quickly vanished as Shuuichi remembered why he had asked Kokichi to meet him in the first place that morning.

“I think it’d be best if we just went,” Shuuichi said, voice quiet and unsure, “I’m not really sure how to explain why I’m even doing this in the first place without sounding crazy.”

Kokichi gave him a puzzled look, but nodded in understanding regardless. “Lead the way then, Shumai.”

* * *

The train ride over had been relaxing, which Shuuichi figured not many people would be willing to say after sitting next to an excited and talkative Kokichi for an hour straight. It wasn't until the train gave the announcement that the boys had reached their stop that Shuuichi snapped back out of the conversation, nudging the other out of his seat with him. 

“It should be this way,” Shuuichi said as he led the other boy out from the station. Here, the rain fell harder than back home, and the detective pulled his umbrella back out to share with Kokichi, the two squeezing together as they attempting to stay dry and warm against the cold rain. If the other boy was confused by Shuuichi not being sure of where they were going, then he didn't show it, instead choosing to follow the taller’s directions as he led them through a small town that neither of them had ever been to.

Half an hour and a few wrong turns later, they finally reached their destination, and Shuuichi slowed to a stop in front of the gates belonging to a small fence. Beside him, Kokichi seemed to realize where they were without having to be told, and rather than questioning the detective, he simply walked alongside him as they each scanned over names engraved on stone, searching for one in particular.

The rain had died down into a quiet drizzle by the time the pair stood in front of a headstone reading _Shirogane_ across it.

For a while, they both stood in silence. Shuuichi wasn't sure what Kokichi was thinking about, but he found himself thoughtless as he stared at the marker. When a question finally crossed his mind, he found himself voicing it, barely louder than the lazy drizzle of rain around them. “Do you think anyone even comes here for her?”

Kokichi didn't say anything, letting his silence serve as his answer.

“Do they even know she’s gone for good?” His grip on the umbrella began to loosen as he spoke, the wind beginning to make it waver in the rain.

Again, Kokichi stayed silent.

“What if they think she’s still just missing,” Shuuichi felt himself beginning to shake with anxiety at the possibility. _What if they still believe, after all these years, that their daughter could still be out there, safe somewhere that they don't know about? How are we supposed to pursue this case to prove she’s dead when they could still have faith that she's out there somewhere, still alive?_

Not breaking his own silence, Kokichi stepped closer to Shuuichi, pulling him into a tight hug with his back to the marker. The arm that had been holding up the umbrella fell limp to his side, letting the rain fall on the two boys as they stood together.

“We cant fix the wrongs that already happened,” Kokichi muttered quietly once Shuuichi moved to return the hug. “All we can do is our best to prevent the wrongs that have yet to happen.”

“This was a stupid idea,” Shuuichi mumbled in response, regretting his decision to come to the gravesite in the first place.

Kokichi shook his head as much as he could, given that it was currently pressed against Shuuichi’s chest. “I think she’d be grateful to know that you’re still thinking of her.”

Silence filled the air around them, and after a few beats, Kokichi, released Shuuichi form his grip, taking a step back and putting on the kindest smile he could, taking the umbrella from Shuuichi’s loose grip and holding it over him. “Now, I’m pretty sure I saw a cafe back in the town that looked like it was worth a shot while we were here.”

With Kokichi’s reassuring energy spreading to Shuuichi, the detective gave a noise of agreement and followed as Kokichi led the way out. As the passed the gates on their way out, he glanced over his shoulder at the marker they had stood by. After spending so much time with Tsumugi, the girl in such great distress, he found himself thankful that the space beside the grave was still empty.

* * *

Several weeks had passed since Kokichi had gone with him to visit the Shirogane gravesite, and the group had met together many times throughout, eager to continue spending time with one another. Now, he sat with Kokichi in that same coffee shop that they had first met in after the island, the two sitting across from one another as they made idle chat, each scrolling through their phones and occasionally showing something they found on it to the other.

“You know, I always believed in that whole ‘lifelong friends’ thing,” Kokichi said, suddenly breaking the calm quiet between them. Shuuichi was confused where the topic was coming from, but the boy left him no room to ask. “I thought I had lifelong friends. But I guess I didn’t. When I came back from the island, they were glad to have me back, but more changed in the time I was gone that I thought. We used to spend every second of every day with each other, but since I’ve gotten back, they hardly even acknowledge each other.”

Kokichi’s expression was closed off, but when he focused really hard, Shuuichi was pretty sure he saw fear in it.

“I thought we were airtight, but every since I got back, things have been completely different. So I stopped believing in that stupid ‘friends for life’ thing. But for whatever reason, that dumb group we got stuck with keeps wanting to spend time together.” Kokichi’s voice fell quiet as he continued on, as if he was meaning to speak with himself more than Shuuichi as he did, “Maybe I was right to believe that you could stand by someone for so long.”

Shuuichi didn't say anything for a while, still trying to process what Kokichi was even talking about, and if he was even meant to respond to it at all.

“I never really thought anyone could stick with someone else for their entire life,” he said. “I guess working on one too many infidelity cases can do that to you. But I also never really had a group of friends like I do now. And when I’m around them, I feel like I won’t ever have to leave their sides, like we’ll always be there for each other.”

Kokichi nodded, but soon after his expression turned hesitant once more.

“There’s something else,” Kokichi explained. “I’ve been thinking about leaving. Seeing Kiiboy and everyone else in university and everything, and with my old friends growing apart like they are, going to school seems like a good idea to me.”

Shuuichi tried his best to hide his surprise at the announcement, but he doubted that he was able to do so successfully.

“You’re the first person I’m telling, so don't go spreading any rumors around!” Kokichi exclaimed before regathering himself. “I got into a nice school, but it’s a little bit out of the way, which kind of sucks because I won’t be able to spend as much time with everyone else as I do now if I do end up going there— not that I care, because I don't need those boring dorks anyways!”

Shuuichi felt a slight tug at his lips at the blatant lie, but the expression turned more worried when he thought more into what Kokichi had said.

_He’d be leaving me, too. That’s why he’s telling my first, isn't it?_

Fighting to keep the mess of feelings he was suddenly swamped with from reaching his expression, he gave his best smile as he spoke. “I think that’d be great for you, Kokichi.”

Kokichi perked up at the answer before he let out a triumphant shout, earning glares from some of the other customers. 

“Really? I’m so glad you feel that way, Shumai!” As he spoke, Kokichi shoved his phone into Shuuichi’s hands, pointing to the website he had pulled up. “So this one’s a one bedroom, one bath, with a full kitchen. It’s actually priced pretty well, especially given how close to campus it is. The one on the next page is a little more expensive but…”

Shuuichi stared blankly at the screen as Kokichi tapped away at it. He couldn't help feeling hurt over how excited the other was to leave him behind, even showing him different apartments that the other boy had found for him to live in once he left Shuuichi behind.

Fingers snapping barely an inch away from his face made Shuuichi jump.

“Jeez, welcome back, Shuuichi!” Kokichi giggled. “What’s wrong?”

Shuuichi struggled to keep his voice level as he answered, “Nothing! I just think that maybe your apartment choice should be up to you, since you’ll be the one giving it and all?” He couldn't fight back the confusion that laced his voice, though, turning the statement into a something more akin to question.

Kokichi just stared at him blankly as if he was waiting for Shuuichi to realize something obvious. “Shumai…” he explained slowly, “I’m showing you these different options because I believe that everyone who will be living in an apartment should have a say in what it should be like.”

Shuuichi wasn't sure if he was understanding Kokichi’s words. “What do you mean?”

“Well, obviously I’m going to need a roommate to help pay for the apartment,” Kokichi started. “And I’m sure you’re itching to move out from your uncle’s place by now. And I thought that maybe you’d want to move into an apartment together?”

It took a few moments for the words to finally process in Shuuichi’s brain before the realization hit him like a truck.

“Wait, you want me to move in with you?” He asked.

Kokichi rolled his eyes playfully, “Well, duh. Who else was I going to ask? Korekiyo? I’m pretty sure he’d watch me in my sleep and take notes on how I breathe or something. Or what, Angie? I don't doubt that if I stayed with her, I’d wake up one day to find out that she’s about to make me into a human sacrifice! I’d much rather prefer my sweet, handsome boyfriend, thank you.”

Shuuichi’s mind rattled off all the ways that living with Kokichi could go wrong, _Oh god, what if I weird him out, though? Or what if my sleeping schedule makes him upset? Or we cant agree on which cabinets to keep dishes in? What if—_

Warm hands covered Shuuichi’s own, and the detective looked up to find comfort in the reassuring expression of the boy sitting across from him.

 _What if it goes right?_ Shuuichi challenged himself, the vivid purple gaze across from him making him feel braver.

“Alright. What was the second apartment like, again?”

* * *

The warmth of the coffee was the only thing keeping Shuuichi going, the sun having set past the horizon long ago as his eyes continued to scan over documents pulled up on the laptop before him. If it weren’t for the hot drink and the jacket he was wearing, he was pretty sure he would have already died of hypothermia in the freezing cold of the coffee shop by Kokichi’s campus that the other boy had introduced him to. Honestly, he wasn't sure why he was even bothering to help pay rent with the boy given he pretty much lived in the coffee filled tundra of a building at this point. 

It wasn't his fault that his apparent had such bad internet and the coffee shop had such good wifi, though. 

Or that his workload had grown so much since the investigation into Team Dangan had formally started. Everything had rushed by so quickly once the investigation began that he still felt the ache of whiplash. He had gone from busying himself with his own private work to nearly everything going entirely public suddenly, the case turning out to be much larger and closer watched than he had ever anticipated. 

The day that Tsumugi’s parents called stuck out to him the most, looking back.

He had reacted with displeasure, not wanting to interact with parents who would abandon their late child so easily, but over the course of the case that followed, they proved themselves to be more helpful in the investigation and hearings than he had expected, playing a key role in the prosecution of the research organization that had taken their daughter way from them.

On top of all of that, with all the focus he was directing into the case, Shuuichi hadn't bothered to consider the possibilities that the attention would bring him. Before he could even realize what was happening, more completely unrelated cases were being thrown at him, strangers seeing him as capable of helping them even with his busy schedule. At first, he had been quick to turn down any and all offers directed at him, attention solely focused on the Team Dangan case. But over time, strangers began to approach him with their own concerns about the organization, and Shuuichi’s case continued to grow as it went on. 

A finger lightly tapping the edge of his laptop got his attention, Shuuichi looking away from the bright screen to the gentle expression of the coffee shop’s employee that he couldn't help feeling bad that he didn't know the name of after spending so much time there. 

“Hey, Saihara, I just wanted to give you a heads up that we’re closing in five minutes.” Shuuichi nodded in understanding and gave a polite, “Thank you,” before turning his gaze back to the laptop on the table in front of him. All at once, he realized that his eyes were dry, head heavy, and back aching after sitting in the shop for far more hours than he had bothered to keep track of.

 _I only need a few more hours,_ he thought to himself, hand unconsciously reaching to fiddle with his hair, I’ll just go somewhere else and finish this before heading back to the apartment.

At first, he had been drowning himself in documents and files in the apartment, but after enough all nighter, Kokichi had established a new rule against doing work of any kind in the apartment, designating it a space to relax without worrying about work and school. Shuuichi had thought it was just a fleeting idea that the other would let go of within a few weeks, but he kept to his word, and the two had made a habit of working together at the coffee shop or in various buildings on Kokichi’s campus.

He had to admit, it _was_ helping him to relax more when he was in the apartment instead of constantly stressing about work.

Body moving on autopilot, Shuuichi took another sip of his coffee before packing everything up into his bag, wishing the employees at the coffee shop a good night on his way out of the shop and towards the school’s campus. Ideally, the library on campus would still be open by the time he got there, but he doubted it. In the end, he chose to hide away in the upper floors of the school’s student union as it was the last building open into the late hours of the night once the library had closed up.

He slid his laptop back out from his bag and reopened it to the document he had been looking at in the coffee shop before he had to leave. The file had been sent to him by a source that was questionable at best, but the information enclosed could finish the Team Dangan case easily. All he needed was to verify the sender, and it would all be over, after months of working on the case, on participating in trials, Team Dangan would finally face the justice that they deserved. More importantly, though, Tsumugi will have finally received the defense that she should've had all along.

Warmth slid into the booth next to Shuuichi, and he glanced at the clock to see that a couple of hours had passed since he had gone to the Student Union. He didn't need to look away from the screen to know that the person leaning against him lazily was Kokichi. Instead, he continued to review the document for any more details that could provide validity to the information contained.

“Who sent that?” Kokichi mused beside him, scanning over the document curiously.

Shuuichi leaned his own weight against the other boy as he leaned back into the booth. “Not sure, but it could be the final piece of evidence we need to bring the Team Dangan case to a close. I just need to know that the information is accurate and we’re set.”

“Is that what you’re trying to do now, then?” Kokichi asked, pushing Shuuichi off of him so that he could pull the laptop towards himself. “You have to do that yourself?”

“Not necessarily,” Shuuichi responded. “The technology side of things isn't my specialty, we’ll just have to show it to someone who actually knows what they’re doing and they’ll take care of it.”

“So we can go back to the apartment then?” Kokichi asked, but Shuuichi could practically hear the question lying just underneath it, the unspoken, _So you’re done worrying over this for the night and we can stop worrying about it for now?_

Shuuichi looked to the laptop screen once more before glancing to Kokichi next to him, the latter giving him a hopeful expression.

“Yeah,” Shuuichi answered both questions together. As he regathered all of his belongings into his backpack for the second time that night, he had to work against the welcome distraction of Kokichi practically cuddling into him in the middle of the student union. He probably would've been more embarrassed if the building was still crowded and it hadn't been almost an entire year since they moved into the apartment together.

After everything they had been through, on the island and in the mess of legal cases afterward, he couldn’t help feeling that, for once, everything was heading in the right direction for the two of them.

But the more he thought about it, as the two made their way from the school to their apartment, hand in hand as they walked through the unique type of quiet of a city late in the night, he couldn't help but think that it felt wrong somehow.

Without a word, Kokichi fumbled around for his keys in his pocket when they reached the door to the apartment. Shuuichi wasn't going to lie and say it was some grand complex that existed in absolute perfection. Kokichi might, though. But even if it wasn't the greatest place Shuuichi had seen in his life, it still had something that no other apartment had that he felt made it the best possible one, he considered as he watched while Kokichi finally fished out his key to open the door for them both. The action that he had grown so familiar with over so many months of it repeating as they lived together in the apartment made him realize why the idea that things would be heading towards alright had felt so wrong.

And when Kokichi pulled Shuuichi down to his level once the door closed behind him to press a gentle kiss against the taller’s lips, hand squeezing Shuuichi’s own before releasing to take the detective’s backpack from him and grumble something about it being absurdly heavy, it only served to confirm what he had realized.

Shuuichi didn't have to worry about when things were going to be alright in the slightest.

They already were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well. Here we are
> 
> I genuinely never expected to finish this fic, for it to exceed 60k words, or for literally anyone to enjoy it at all. Somehow, not a single one of my expectations were met, and this fic is ending after over 130k words and with me having met people that I would never have gotten to know had I never impulsively posted that first chapter when I was sleep deprived and bored beyond belief last year.
> 
> Now here I am, about to get Emotional in the middle of this freezing Starbucks.
> 
> Thank you so much to everyone who has read this. To everyone who left kudos on this. To everyone who left even a single comment on this. To everyone who commented on nearly every chapter. To the people who've been reading this since chapter one. To everyone who binged it as the last few chapters were posted. ~~To the people who were there that fateful night that I accidentally posted two complete chapters within a few hours of each other.~~
> 
> I'd like to part with one little fun fact about this fic, that the title of this fic was actually only meant to be a temporary title, stolen from Fall Out Boy solely because it says "Plane Crash" in the title. It's a good song, though, so you guys might want to go give it a listen if you don't already know it.
> 
> Wow yeah, emotional in the middle of a cold ass starbucks. Another fun fact is that nearly every chapter was written in this very starbucks. Trust me, guys, white chocolate mochas are a blessing to this earth and i dont even like white chocolate or mochas.
> 
> In terms of if you'll be seeing any more from me, I genuinely don't know. At this point, I don't plan on writing something new, but I get bored easily and getting bored is exactly how this whole adventure started. Being bored and angry at the dumb way that Lost ended.
> 
>  
> 
> I'm on tumblr @strandedcrow if you guys want to keep up with anything i'm up to outside of here
> 
> This has been one hell of a journey, and I'm thankful for it and for all of you for joining me on it <3


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